Waging Wars
by Shortie-M
Summary: Klaus is a ruthless king and would do anything for power, including stabbing his brother in the back. He always gets what he wants and one of those things is Caroline, a lady in waiting. He intends to be the only one to rule the lands and to make Caroline his queen, but who will he sacrifice to make these dreams a reality? Takes place during medieval times.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fiction. Please be nice and if you don't have anything nice to say or don't like it, than please don't comment. I've seen some before on other people's and it's mean when you are starting out. I've gone back and forth with myself on whether or not I had it in me to post this, so please don't make me regret it. :-) I do hope you like it though.**

**Disclaimer: I own Nothing**

"Everyone, raise your goblets in honor of King Niklaus and Queen Hayley. With whom we wouldn't have been able to take back our lands from the Lockwoods," King Damon announced throughout the large dining hall, garnering every nobleman's attention and appreciation. He gestured towards his brother, Prince Stefan. "We are forever in your debt. Anything you may need."

Klaus smirked and raised his glass higher. "Anything, you say?"

Everyone in the room drunkenly laughed at the King's quip before all resumed stuffing themselves on the fresh meats and fruits.

"How much longer do you plan to stay, your Majesty?" Queen Elena mumbled from Damon's side.

Klaus smiled at the young girl whom had everyone fooled by her holier than thou outward presentation of herself. If King Damon took notice of his wife's secretive glances toward his own brother, Klaus was sure she'd be beheaded. "Tired of my brother's troublesome antics around your home already?" As the girl sputtered he waved off her comment. "I believe my lovely wife is becoming homesick, even with your gracious hosting of our large entourage." He squeezed Hayley's hand, signally her to agree, which she acknowledged with an affirming nod.

"Nonsense," Damon exclaimed. "You must stay until after the festival."

"I'm afraid the King and Queen have stayed much too long for their kingdom's liking," Klaus's brother Elijah stated in his charming tone that left no room to argue, yet never seemed to cause offense. "Their subjects miss them," he finished, setting his goblet of wine on the polished table.

"Well, why wouldn't they with a benevolent leader such as yourself," Stefan muttered unenthusiastically from Damon's right side.

Klaus knew that Stefan didn't trust him, but then again he shouldn't. Klaus may have helped get Damon his lands back by lending his fierce soldiers, but now he had Damon under his thumb. The opportunity to help the Salvatore's was a calculated one and something that Klaus couldn't pass over.

The Salvatore lands, though smaller than the Mikalson's lands, were still a territory rich in resources. Klaus's brothers would jest how he wouldn't stop until he controlled all the resources on Earth, but Klaus knew it was true. Having the most resources meant having the most power and having power was one of Klaus's ambitions. He wanted control of all the lands and the kindness he gave to the Salvatore's was another step in his planning.

"More wine, your Majesty?" a young servant girl who batted her eyelashes suggestively asked.

Klaus smirked knowingly. "I'm parched." The girl bowed her head with a smile and seductive look before swaying away from the table. Klaus watched her go and contemplated how he would ravish the beauty later that night.

"Don't stare too long, brother," Kol admonished from his side with a mischievous smile. "Otherwise your Queen will know you take other women to bed besides her."

Klaus glanced uninterestedly at Hayley who pulled her hand from Klaus's with barely concealed bitterness. "I think she knows," Klaus said and joined in with Kol's amusement.

"I'm tired," Hayley said from his side.

"Am I stopping you from going to your chambers?" Klaus questioned, eyeing the pretty brunette he would have that night in his bed.

"I was hoping you would join me," Hayley whispered. "In my chambers," she clarified.

Klaus glanced at her, confused by her proposition.

It was no secret that the King and Queen had been betrothed at a young age and that their marriage had been a transaction between their parents. Both, not sleeping in the same chambers and usually not residing in the same parts of the castle was normal. They both knew their marriage would be like this and Klaus even afforded Hayley the luxury of having a male companion of her own, something that was kept a close secret. Klaus and Hayley both knew that if anyone outside of their circle found out about Hayley's affair he would have no choice than to kill her. Unfairly, it was common practice for kings to enjoy other women in their bed, however for a queen it meant adultery, a crime.

"I joined you for our monthly meeting a fort night ago," he discreetly stated for her ears only.

"And I'm not pregnant yet. We should see each other more often."

Klaus sighed. "Another child? We have four and I love them all. Another would cause difficulties between them."

"We have four _girls_. I want to give you a male heir," she said fiercely.

"It's unnecessary. Adrianna will rule once I'm gone. I think she'd do well once she's under my tutelage. She may look like you, my Dear, but she has the devil in her eyes."

"It's very necessary. I want my son to be king one day in the country you created. I want him to be ruthless and rule his lands with an iron fist. Just like this father."

"Careful. You should conceal your blood lust, not present it for all to see. It seems my desires have been rubbing off on you." He sat back and eyed her suspiciously as she fidgeted in her seat. "Unless..."

"I want another child," she stated plainly and Klaus sighed in understanding. Klaus knew she loved her title as queen and loved the power that came with it. And having a child to take the throne after he dies, especially a male, would guarantee her title as queen mother to go untouched. In these ways, Hayley and Klaus were the same. They both were power hungry by nature.

"I'll bring a guest with me," Klaus said in finality and eyed the woman across the room again.

oooOooo

"Good morning, Elijah," Klaus greeted as a servant helped him pull on his winter coat for the journey home.

"Did you have a good restful night, brother?" he asked, walking fully into the room and fixing his blue tunic in the mirror.

"Good, yes. Restful?" he shot his brother a wicked grin. "You should know since your room is across from mine. Did we keep you up?" he asked jokingly.

Elijah didn't smile at the jab. "We should be going. The weather doesn't look good and I wouldn't want the carriages to..."

"We'll be on our way soon," Klaus interrupted as the servant finished and scurried from the room. "You can have Hayley back once we reach our castle," he uttered discreetly, pushing on his leather gloves. When he was finished he turned to fully face his brother. "Is it jealousy that I'm detecting?" he asked, but Elijah's expression gave nothing away. "Not to worry, Elijah, the ice queen will soon be back to where she belongs. And don't fret, majority of the noise came from our other bed partner." He smirked and strutted from the room, Elijah following.

oooOooo

"It's good to be home," Klaus greeted as he stepped back into his courtyard, fondness for the familiar dirt under his boots and smells of leather and horses in the air. "Kol, I want to see you and Elijah to plan strategy."

Kol slung a long arm around his brother to complain. "Niklaus, we just got back. Look around, there are new play things scurrying around the castle."

Klaus turned and glared. He would see to the distractions later. "That means Rebekah must be visiting and before she makes any demands of me, we need to plan."

Kol rolled his eyes and turned to do what Klaus wanted. "And Kol, do..." Klaus became silent as he caught a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye. When he looked again all he could see was a golden head bobbing through the crowd of people in the courtyard. When the crowd parted all he could see was her back as she spoke with a noblewoman. Her slender build was exquisite, her hair dangling in crisscrossed braids reaching her waist and the color of her hair was magnificent. It was a shade of gold he had never seen before and shined as bright as the sun. _She was the sun_, he thought. She was light.

When she turned his breath caught. She was more than lovely. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He only wished he was closer so he could see the color of her eyes that he knew would be stunning against her milky white skin.

The wine colored dress she wore looked wonderful on her, but Klaus knew that if she wore blue he would have to fight men for her. And he would. He knew in that moment he would fight an entire military regime for her. Not just because she was beautiful, but with one single look he felt lighter. His body radiated with warmth, the kind someone would get from being next to a fire after being in the cold for so long and he couldn't get enough of the feeling.

When their eyes met his heart raced and everything seemed to slow to a stop until Kol's voice broke the spell.

"Well isn't she a taste?"

"Say another word, and I'll tear out your liver," he managed to say while staring at the beauty.

She smiled timidly and he felt like a young boy again, not an experienced man, not a king.

"Nik, there you are. I heard you arrived and I'm upset that you didn't come find me right away. I am your sister after all."

He reluctantly turned to see his sister striding towards him with Elijah, the air of a queen that she wasn't.

"He was too busy ogling a fair maiden," Kol announced, to Klaus's ire.

"The boy king," she teased.

"Still bitter you're just a duchess?" Klaus jabbed back, taking one last look at the golden maiden before making his way into the castle and into one of the many rooms he used for private strategy sessions.

Rebekah tossed her white blonde hair to the side with a huff as she glided through the entryway. "I'll be queen as soon as that old hag dies and Philip takes the throne," she spoke brazenly.

Elijah held her upper arm in a bruising grip. "Don't speak like that, Rebekah," he said forcefully. "If someone overhears it's treason and I don't even think Niklaus would be able to save you."

She glared, but said no more as she sat close to the fire burning in the large stone fireplace.

"If you're finished for the time being, Sister, we all need to discuss our next move," Klaus asked, but didn't wait for an answer as he moved towards the map spread out on a large table.

The map showed every land that had been discovered and would probably be redrawn again once his explorers came back to the country with their findings.

Klaus took a piece of charcoal and lightly traced the Salvatore's land, meaning it would eventually be his, if only for the temporary alliance. All Klaus needed was time and he was a very patient man. Most of the map was filled with dark charcoal smudges, marking the territories he had conquered in his tenure as king. He marveled at the large areas of the Fell's he had taken in a swift battle and the areas of the Saltzman family that was a bit harder to take, but was eventually overcome by Klaus's strong warriors.

Klaus stared at one of the largest territories on the map that hadn't been blemished with his dark lines. The Lockwoods. He needed to find leverage against them. Something that the King and Queen most treasured. The thought of kidnapping their son Tyler crossed his mind for a split second, but he shook it away. He didn't want to win a country through anything but battle. He wanted the smug Lockwoods, who thought themselves untouchable, to grovel at his feet in surrender. He wanted to take the crown from King Lockwood's head as it rolled toward his feet. Any other way would be dishonorable.

Maybe he could use his alliance with the Salvatore's, but their military was weak.

Klaus sat back in his chair and put his hands together, debating on what to do next as Kol sat by Rebekah, teasing her, and Elijah gazed out a window, probably thinking how soon he could be with the queen again.

oooOooo


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2! First Klaroline interaction. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

"Queen," Klaus mumbled absently that night while lounging in his chair at dinner.

He'd barely touched the food in front of him, preoccupied with thoughts of the Lockwoods and a certain blonde beauty. He'd decided it couldn't be a swift taking as far as the Lockwood kingdom was concerned. He had to be meticulous. He had to have every angle covered. King Lockwood was conniving and smart, Klaus couldn't underestimate him. He knew he would eventually be able to out maneuver the king, however. Nobody was safe when it came to Klaus's plans.

"Did you say something?" Hayley asked, sitting next to him.

"No," he answered, searching the crowded table for Elijah. "Elijah, we need a word later."

Elijah nodded his head from further down the table where he sat next to the flaxen haired beauty Klaus had seen in the courtyard. He'd found out that she was one of Rebekah's ladies, but nothing more. He couldn't ask without sounding suspicious, but he suspected Rebekah already knew. Sometimes she knew him too well.

"Sister," he began as she eyed him warily from across from Kol. "How long will you be visiting?"

She set her fork down and sat tall, ready for a battle it seemed. "I'm unsure. Do you wish for me to leave so soon?"

Klaus smiled briefly, showing her he knew what she was up to. "Of course not. You know this castle will always be your home. You and my favorite brother in-law and favorite ally are always welcome. I just wonder how long you will stay before the Prince notices you're gone," he answered snidely, getting a glare from her. Although the Prince gave Rebekah whatever she wished, what she couldn't stand was the way he ignored her.

"He always misses me. Besides," she lowered her voice in a mock whisper. "The men around the castle seem to be in better spirits when I arrive. Obviously they like to admire the beauty of me and my ladies."

Klaus glanced at the woman who sat next to Elijah having an animated conversation with a brilliant smile on her face. "Perhaps we will suffer through your company then, if only for the good of my men."

She smiled, the imp. "Perhaps."

Later that night after convening with Elijah on the Lockwood issue, Klaus walked the quiet grounds. Guards melted into the shadows as the inhabitants slept peacefully in their beds, something Klaus was unaccustomed to. It had been years since the king had a restful night's sleep, plagued by worries of his kingdom or the rare nightmare. So, he took to walking the halls and grounds at night, hoping to calm his mind. He eventually found himself in the stables and in the presence of his current obsession.

"Do you like horses?" he asked after a moment of watching her and she gasped, turning so swiftly her skirts flared around her ankles.

She bowed. "Your Majesty. I didn't see you."

The sound of her voice made him smile. It was sweet, but had commanding undertones. "You're one of Rebekah's ladies. What's your name?"

Her eyes swept him and Klaus almost thought she wouldn't answer. "Caroline."

"Beautiful woman."

"Excuse me?" she asked, shocked someone would be so forthright.

"Your name. It means beautiful woman," he said, stepping closer toward her and the blessed object of her fascination. "And you never answered me. Do you like horses?"

She eyed him again. "Yes, I do, but only from afar."

"You never learned?" he asked, patting the chestnut sixteen hands horse and planning on how he could teach her. "You're a lady in waiting, usually they excel at every kind of hobby imaginable."

"I guess my embroidery skills needed to be more refined."

He smiled again and he couldn't help but think he'd never smiled more before this day, just by having an inane conversation with this woman. "May I show you something?"

He knew she couldn't very well refuse him, but he gave her the choice any way and she nodded, a small triumph. He hoped he had more of these opportunities in the future, leading her from the straw coated grounds.

He quietly guided her to a part of the castle anyone rarely visited. There were few sconces and firelight, making the hallway secluded except for the fact that paintings covered the walls. People stared out of the frames at an unknown being. Landscapes in bright colors that almost made you feel warm by being close and some in dreary shades, expressing the loneliness of the lands. Some were swipes of paint on a canvas that you couldn't tell where one stroke started and another finished, however then there were drawings that almost seemed life like in their detail.

"These are amazing," she awed at a particular landscape. It was bright and cheerful except for the darkness that hovered around its edges.

"It's a passion of mine," he answered coming close to her, almost touching. She glanced sideways, but didn't say anything. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I just wonder that these must not have been guarded properly in whatever kingdom you took them from."

He looked down at his feet before gazing back at the painting. She seemed to have a talent for making him feel like a regular man, not a king. "Yes, well, that's their mistake."

She walked further and stopped at a painting of him and his family. Everyone looked exactly as they were in person except for him. Everything about him seemed skewed. "Wait, did you do these?"

He looked down the hall and then back to her. "Like I said, it's a passion of mine."

She turned fully towards him, examining him. "I hear things about you. You're ruthless and unfeeling. You find power more important than people." He turned towards her, his eyes hardening at the assumptions. "But," she continued, "I think there's a vulnerable part of you, but you don't let anyone see it and I think you're passionate." When he didn't respond, only stared at her she continued, gesturing to the filled walls. "I think only someone like that can make such beautiful things."

He said nothing, but stood still as she examined him closer. He didn't understand how she could see that in him. She didn't know him, because if she did, Klaus thought, she would see that she was wrong. He didn't care for others. Caring made people weak, and he was not weak. His lack of compassion is what made him outclass his rivals. Yes, sometimes it made him a monster, but he did what other people wouldn't dare. He did what needed to be done when no one else was willing.

As she stepped closer the scent of lilacs filled his nostrils and he studied her, trying to figure out the woman who stood before him. At first glance she was everything he wasn't. She was genuinely good, he noted, but he detected something under her surface. She was more than a pretty face with a good heart. She was strong, with her fierce words toward him and she wasn't easily fooled. _Though she must reserve her kindness for the people who deserve it_, he thought sardonically.

"I heard you helped the Salvatore's win back their lands," she said, still examining every inch of his face, making sure she didn't miss any twitch of a brow or expression quickly masked by indifference or an arrogant smirk. "I used to know Elena when we were children. Is she still just as pretty and fawned over?"

He could hear a bit of bitterness in her voice and slightly smiled. "She's not as beautiful as you."

She scoffed and finally glanced back to the paintings.

"What? I only tell the truth."

She rolled her eyes at him and it made him smile more. She didn't treat him like he was king, she treated him as if he were a nuisance and the man in him rose to the challenge.

"You know, I'm too smart to be seduced by you," she said, not looking at him.

"Well, that's why I like you."

She scoffed again. "You don't know me."

"I would like to."

"Why?" she asked, turning to him, as if the notion was utterly ridiculous.

"I fancy you. I may not know you, but everything I've observed has made me want to be closer to you."

"I know you've had lots of mistresses," she informed him. "Do you say the same things to them?"

He stood close enough that he could feel her breaths on his lips. It made his smile widen when he felt how fast she was breathing. "It's true, but they meant nothing. I never wanted to know them. I never wanted to know their hopes and dreams." He picked up her small hand in his and relished the smoothness. "I've never wanted to spend more than just one night with them. Ever since I saw you in the courtyard you've taken up space in my mind. I find myself thinking of you when I should be doing other things. I've never had time for distractions, but I find myself craving them. Some say that I have an obsession with power, but the way I felt when I first saw you is nothing compared to the way I feel when fighting for my country or fighting to take another's."

"And for how long will this obsession of yours last? Until tomorrow? Until after you bed me? Would you even stay until the morning light filled the sky?" She pulled her hand out of his. "I won't be someone's mistress. You want to know my hopes and dreams? I hope someday I'll find a man who will love me and choose me over any kind of war or revenge. And I dream of the day that man wants to marry me because he can't stand to be apart from me and because I'm the only one to hold his heart. I hope for these things because I don't want to live a life that I see others lead. I see betrayal and loneliness and I don't want that for myself. I want love. True, honest love."

She rushed away, not waiting for Klaus to reply to her short speech, however it left him wordless. If there were ever someone that he could care for wholeheartedly, he believed it would be her and he would accept her challenge of winning her heart. She wanted to hold his heart? She already did. Her bravery of standing up to him and telling him exactly how she felt, not just pretty words she thought he wanted to hear, made her remarkable in his eyes.

He slightly chuckled as he watched her deep colored skirts whip aggressively down the hallway. Even in her anger she was marvelous.

He made his way back to his chambers through the endless corridors, his mind racing with visions of Caroline and not thoughts of sleep. He wished he could sleep and perhaps he'd dream of her. He'd dream that her smiles were directed towards him and that he was allowed to hold her close to him, feeling her body heat seep into him and washing away the coldness. But for the time being he withdrew his worn leather bound sketchbook kept hidden in his wardrobe and sought out a piece of charcoal.

Klaus sat by the fire until the embers had grown cold and his sketchbook was filled with pictures of Caroline. He drew her as she studied the horse from the stables, he drew her the way she looked at him when she was analyzing him, and he drew her how he imagined she would look at him someday. He drew her until his hand cramped and the sun started to shine over the horizon.

He leaned back in the chair he had been sitting in for hours and closed his eyes, hoping to get a little rest. It seemed life had a different idea for his day, however.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is a small look into Caroline's POV. I'm hoping she's not too OOC. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Caroline leaned heavily against the wood door to her chamber and sighed. She had told the king that she couldn't be seduced by him and she wouldn't be, she was determined, but the things he'd said...they were tempting. To feel like your different from anyone else in his world would make anyone's heart swell. She knew she could fall hopelessly in love with him, but he was King Niklaus. He conquered lands and cut down anyone in his path. The words he spoke weren't true. He just wanted to get her into his bed like any commoner that would fall for a nobleman's false promises. Even though she was beginning to feel hopeless she wanted love. Noblemen didn't want a woman who spoke her mind like she did. She was inappropriate, clumsy, and sometimes she laughed too loud. Traits that men didn't want in a wife. They wanted a proper woman to tend to their every need, but she didn't think she'd be able to play the part of a loving wife if she had to fake smiles.

But everything the king had said she wanted the man she would someday marry to say and mean. She witnessed the hardships Rebekah went through in her arranged marriage. The prince ignored her and everyday Caroline saw Rebekah's heart harden and a little bit of her compassion was being replaced with resentment and bitterness. Even the prince's mother didn't treat Rebekah with any kindness and showed more affection toward her pets. However, Rebekah was trapped and Caroline didn't want that for herself.

She sighed heavily and slipped out of her dress and slid under the cold sheets of her bed. Caroline rolled over and closed her eyes, wondering if she'd be disciplined for speaking to the king the way she had, but she couldn't help herself. She shook her head, worry niggling into her mind and planting a seed of doubt. The king was easily angered and she knew she had peaked that anger in him that night because her mouth had run away from her. But the more she thought about it the less she could block out the way he held her hand or the way he looked at her, genuinely interested in what she had to say. By showing her something so personal to him made him vulnerable, yet he still wanted to present the beautiful paintings to her. She closed her eyes, seeing the king's mouth tightened in ire, the sparkle in his eyes when he looked at her, and of course his smile that she saw every time he didn't think she was looking.

When she opened her eyes again she expected to be blinded by the candle that was still burning by her bedside, not the sun shining through the small window across the room.

Once she had tiredly gotten ready for the day, slipping on the light purple dress with a gold belt Rebekah had given her as a birthday present, she made her way to Rebekah's chamber to help the princess with her daily routine.

The rest of ladies in waiting were already present as Caroline walked in, going right to Rebekah's side to tie the laces of Rebekah's black gown that was bordered in red.

"You look tired, Caroline," Rebekah commented, inspecting herself in the long mirror.

"I feel like I hadn't slept at all," she said as Margareta passed her a long gold necklace with a large red pendent hanging from its end.

When Rebekah was dressed and looking perfect the ladies followed her through the winding halls to the dining chamber to break their fast.

Caroline glanced at the king as her chair was pulled out and she was tucked into the table. He didn't look back, confirming that his words and gentle touch were lies. She knew it and wondered which other lady in waiting he would try to bed next. Would it be Mary with her exotic red hair or maybe it would be Margery with her long shiny russet curls? A stab of jealously pierced her heart, but she shook it away, remembering what he had said were lies or at least half truths.

"Are you enjoying your time at the castle, Lady Caroline?" Elijah asked from his seat beside her, startling her out of her musings.

She smiled politely. "I am, although I haven't had much time to explore the grounds."

He smiled back at her, but it seemed strained. "Perhaps I could take you for a walk through the gardens? The roses have wilted, but the other shrubbery are still abundant in their green leaves."

"I'll have to retrieve my cloak after breakfast, but I would love to, Lord Elijah."

She turned back to her fruits and cheeses, but couldn't help glancing at the king again. This time he was having a conversation with his brother Kol, except his stormy blue eyes were focused on her instead of the conversation.

When she walked into her chamber she noticed a rolled parchment on her bed she assumed was left by the servant who had re-organized her chamber and lit another fire. When she unrolled the cream colored paper her breath caught. The drawing in charcoal was beautiful. The lines that curved to create her eyes and lips were perfect. She knew it was just a drawing, however the truth of how the artist sees his subject is transferred into their work and she never thought she looked more beautiful.

Her smile widened as she read the words at the bottom of the page and was signed only by the king's first name. She quickly rolled it up and stored it safely in her wardrobe trunk so no snooping servants would find the gift. She wanted to stay by her firelight and admire his work more, but she couldn't keep Lord Elijah waiting. She would make time later to study every line and detail he included on the paper.

oooOooo

Caroline pulled her fur lined cloak closer to her body as Elijah led her outside into the chilled morning. They walked silently through the mazelike high gardens before coming to the center that presented a large fountain that trickled water onto the base, creating its own sonata of hypnotizing patters.

Elijah sighed, bringing Caroline out of her entranced state. "I'm sorry, Lady Caroline. I've forgotten something in the castle. Please, walk around and enjoy the scenery. I'll return shortly."

She nodded and turned back to the babbling fountain, admiring the craftsmanship of the stone sculpture of a woman on top.

"Lady Caroline," a deep voice said across from her.

She jolted in surprise. The king seemed to have snuck up on her again. "Your Majesty." She curtsied low.

He walked towards her, the gravel crunching under his heavy black boots. "How are you this morning?"

"Well, thank you and yourself?" she asked, searching the tall arborvitaes surrounding them for any prying eyes and ears. When their eyes met he smiled. "Thank you for the drawing," she whispered.

His smile widened and he took a step closer. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

They stared at each other for what to Caroline felt like forever until she spoke again. "Elijah was showing me the grounds." She wanted to curse herself for sounding like a fool. "But it seems I've been abandoned."

"I apologize, it was me who asked him to abandon you."

She stiffened, thinking of her worries from the night before. "Are you here to punish me?"

He walked closer, quirking an eyebrow, a smirk gracing his features. "And why would I do that?"

Every step he took she backed away until the back of her legs hit the stone fountain. "Because of the way I spoke to you."

"Would you beg my forgiveness if I said yes?"

Her lips sealed shut, knowing if they opened she would say something else to offend him or she would tell him that no she wouldn't beg. But instead of berating her he smiled.

"I thought not," he said, pacing away to the other side of the fountain. "Do I scare you, Lady Caroline?"

"Yes," she answered without thinking. She was scared she could feel more for him since she could see the good in him beneath the bad and she was scared that the bad may overtake him and he may hurt her. Nevertheless she didn't know which side of him that left her more frightened.

"I would never hurt you."

"Why am I so special? You've hurt plenty of people," she stated and saw his eyes slightly flare in irritation.

He stayed silent for a couple of moments before shaking his head, avoiding her eyes. "I have no idea, but something inside me tells me I could never bring myself to hurt you." His blue eyes turned to her, burning her inside out. "It's troubling," he admitted.

She kept her eyes focused on him. He was so serious all the time, but she could see he wasn't trying to be charming. He actually found it troubling that he was attracted to her and cared enough to never try to hurt her.

"Why is it that it's troubling to you that you wouldn't be able to hurt someone?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Do you enjoy hurting others that much? Do you care so little for other people that they don't matter. Are they are no longer human in your eyes?"

She became guarded as his gait towards her was swift and intimidating. He could snap her neck in a second, she believed. "I'm king. I need to do what's best for my country."

"But you can't do anything good for your country by sacrificing others in wars. That's not how you get the public to like you," she argued.

"I don't care about being liked. I just need their loyalty."

"Through fear? That's not a way to win loyalty. That's demanding it."

"I do what needs to be done. Do you think things get done when you're nice? They don't," he answered before she could open her mouth. "The world isn't forgiving like you seem to think. You need to fight for what you want."

"So through force is better?" A shirt sarcastic laugh escaped her mouth. "You don't understand people at all."

"You're infuriating," he yelled and turned to move away from her, but it was like he was stuck. He couldn't seem to leave her presence and she was rooted to her spot. "I understand people," he started, his back to her. "I understand the people of my world and without my mercilessness I would probably be dead." His eyes turned to her, the blue dark as the sea during a storm. "You can't stay alive by being soft hearted. Every day is a fight."

Her own anger rose with every word. "I'm still alive," she stated and took the chance to stride closer to him. "You say I'm soft hearted, but I'm still alive. No one has tried to take advantage of me."

"You're also not king."

"So you keep reminding me."

He opened to mouth to speak, but snapped it shut. When he finally spoke he asked, "For someone who has just met me you hold a lot of hostility towards me."

She looked away and let out a breath. She didn't really know why she spoke to him the way she did. The other ladies in waiting had spoken about him, calling him a monster. They called him malicious and cruel when it came to punishments. One of the ladies, Alice, was now widowed because of him, killing her husband for some silly trading he was doing without the king's permission. Alice had told her that the king had her husband tortured for ten days and nights for the offense.

She finally spoke. "I'm loyal to my friends."

He looked confused. "As I'm loyal to my family."

She was frustrated he didn't understand that every action he had taken had an effect on everyone around him. Whether good or bad, but Caroline had heard more of the bad. "You punish those who try to make a living because you don't agree with how they are doing it. You maim and break families a part."

"It seems you're speaking of some specific instances, so please, do tell."

She held her head high. "You killed my friend Alice's husband, Lord Stratton, for trying to earn a living by trading his goods. You enter men into a war they have no reason to be a part of and you recruit young boys that you could barely call men to be warriors."

He interrupted her before she could go on. "These are the things you hear?" He stepped close enough that she feel his breath upon her lips. "Now let me tell you the truth. The men, my warriors, are not here by force. They are offered the positions that are held in high esteem. As far as the young boys are concerned, have you ever thought that I may be saving them?"

The boys we find in the villages that end up in my army we find sleeping in stranger's barns for warmth. Instead of charging them with a crime and carry out a penalty we offer them the chance to fight for their country. We give them beds to sleep in and food to fill their stomachs. We train them to fight, yes, but at the end of their training they have the chance to move on and enjoy their life, but far more than you know stay because they're stronger and they finally have control over their life." He started to walk away, leaving her standing in shock before he turned again to her. "And your friend's husband was a traitor. The goods he was selling was information to other countries. He deserved more than what I gave him."

She watched him stomp away as she replayed everything he said in her mind and she looked down, ashamed. If those stories had been false, how wrong was her perception of him?

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but he was already gone.

oooOooo

Klaus rushed into the castle and to his private study before he did something he would regret. She was wrong about him, but she was also right.

He laid his hands flat on his desk, head down in defeat. How could a little slip of a woman make him feel so small and bring out feelings in him that he had thought were long buried? _The all powerful king_, he thought and scoffed at himself.

"Klaus?" He heard Hayley call from outside the corridor, but decided to ignore her. He didn't want to see anyone at the moment, but his wishes, once again, went unanswered. "What have you done?" she accused, rushing into the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**I appreciate all the support! I hope you like this chapter. It's more of a filler chapter, but it brings up some questions that will be answered later.**

**Enjoy!**

"What have you done?" Hayley yelled, the door to his study slamming shut behind her.

"You'll have to be more specific," he answered with an air exasperation as he lounged back in his elaborately carved seat, the thorny vines seeming to stick out, ready to draw blood from an unsuspecting victim.

"You're betrothing our daughter Gwendolyn to Prince Lockwood?"she growled like a mother wolf standing protectively over her cub.

Klaus's feet hit the floor with a loud thump that bounced off the book cases that lined every corner of the room. "Ah, I see pillow talk is still a prevalent tactic to garner information."

"She is ten years old, Klaus," she announced, ignoring his comment.

He rolled his eyes and came around the desk picking a thick dusty book from one of the shelves. "She's not getting married tomorrow. She'll marry when she comes of age and we deem her ready. Besides, it's just an offer. Who knows if the Lockwood's will accept." Before Hayley could speak again Klaus resumed. "This is for the good of the country."

"This is for the good of you," she accused.

"Don't forget to whom you speak." The fierceness of his eyes told her she would regret it if she spoke another word on the subject, but she took the chance anyway.

"You're selling your daughter just like you sold Rebekah."

"These are the times we live in, Hayley. Would you rather your princess marry a pauper?" he asked, glancing up from the worn leather bound and Hayley's eyes fleeted away. Klaus knew he had her, Hayley would never give up the life she was used to living. "Or perhaps would you like her to marry a cousin, because princes and dukes are running quite low these days."

He set the book down on the desk and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "This marriage, whenever it may happen, will bring peace between two families."

"Until when?" she gritted, glaring at him.

"That's none of your concern." He walked around to his desk again, looking down at the papers that were sprawled out and opened the book again, seeming to compare them. "Leave. Go find Elijah to listen to your woes."

He heard her skirts flutter angrily before the door shut harshly behind her.

There were always reasons behind his decisions, but he didn't have to let the others around him know. Yes, his daughter marrying the Lockwood boy would benefit him just as Rebekah's marriage had, but who knew, maybe it would never come to fruition.

He studied the sketches on the papers in front of him which had come back with the explorers. They had found more land, but something about the drawings were eerily familiar. He'd finally been able to track down what his mother had called a grimoire, which he always thought to be rubbish, but now seeing these drawings, he felt like he'd seen them before and now it was plaguing his mind.

He read passages that seemed to tell of the future, not the witch's brews his mother ranted about, and he could've cared less. The future could always change as his mother had told him. However, she also said no one could outrun destiny, which to Klaus seemed like an oxymoron. His eyes grew tired and bored from reading script after script of nonsense until he saw what he'd been looking for.

As he read the inscription below the sketches that were exact replicates of the ones that sat on his desk, he smiled. According to the book, that wasn't a grimoire as his mother had claimed, the lands were rich in resources, more than his entire country and the Salvatore's combined.

Klaus called for the guard who he knew was standing sentry outside the room and ordered him to bring Benedict to him. He needed to know everything of what the explorer saw.

oooOooo

"Well, it's quite extraordinary," he complimented with a smile towards his eldest daughter.

"Do you really like it?" she asked shyly, searching his face for a lie. "Do you think I'll be as good as you someday?"

He placed the canvas on the table, careful as to not harm it in any way. "I believe you'll be better," he answered and she squealed, a sound Klaus usually despised, but coming from his daughter it only made his smile widen. "Do you know where I think we should hang it?"

Her face became serious as she looked at him with her large brown eyes that could have come from no one but Hayley. "You want to display it in a hall?"

He leaned down so he was about eye level with her. "My hall."

The hug he received almost toppled him over. He was glad he could make at least one person happy that day, he thought sardonically.

Caroline was about to walk into the sitting room when she noticed Klaus speaking to his daughter and the look on both their faces melted her heart. When she saw the girl hug Klaus she smiled. It was nice to see that he was human and could be a father, not just the almighty king. She wondered why he let so few people see it.

Klaus's eyes flickered to Caroline as she stood watching. He pulled away from his daughter and recommended she start on her next painting, asking her to refine her landscapes. The girl flounced out of the room excitedly as Caroline timidly stepped into the ornate sitting room that was decorated in rich warm colors. It was reminiscent of the palace Rebekah had decorated and made people feel welcome, unlike the darkness that covered the rest of it.

"Lady Caroline, what may I do for you today?" he asked, his voice and features stoic. He couldn't let her see how much she effected him and couldn't let her see how she made him feel. He didn't need her making him feel at a time like this. This was a time for plotting and war, not wooing a woman who thought so lowly of him that he had to constantly try and prove himself worthy. _It was absurd_, he thought, but yet he knew he wouldn't give up.

"I was hoping to find you alone," she admitted.

His eyebrow arched in question.

She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes, conveying her sincerity. "I wanted to apologize."

He was confused for a moment. It was rare someone apologized to him unless he demanded it or the person felt it was the right thing to do since he was a ruler.

She stepped forward quickly, seeing his response in his eyes, he supposed.

"I was wrong. The things I said weren't nice and," she took a big breath and looked at the ground, shaking her head. "they weren't even true. "I..."

He cut her off. "It's fine. Apology accepted," he offered shortly. He snapped his fingers at a guard that hovered near. "Take this painting to be framed," he commanded, passing the canvas off. "And do be careful, it's still wet." He turned back to Caroline as the doors shut behind the guard. "Is there something else?"

She sighed. "I get it. I hurt you, so you're trying to hurt me back."

"I wasn't hurt by what you said, Sweetheart" he scoffed, as if the concept was ridiculous.

"I don't believe you," she countered adamantly.

He stood quietly for a long time before taking a seat on one of the many chairs by the great fireplace. "I've done many bad things, Caroline," he said towards the crackling fire. "You'll hear more about me the longer you stay here, only this time they'll probably be true, so save yourself from my monstrous ways." He knew he was being self deprecating, but he was twisted and broken, and he wasn't going to change who he was.

She sat next to him, glancing between him and the fire in silence. They watched the glowing orange flames lick the wood for some time before Caroline broke the silence. "I'm not exactly a saint," she stated and he rolled his head to look at her, but she stared off to something Klaus couldn't see. "I've killed someone." When he said nothing, she continued. "I was walking alone and he attacked me."

Klaus pursed his lips in anger. If she hadn't killed her assailant Klaus would have people scour the world for this man. He imagined how he would have someone bring the man into the keep and Klaus would personally torture him. He'd cut off this unknown man's fingers for trying to touch her. He'd skin him alive. He was brought out of his angry musings by Caroline's soft voice.

"He didn't know I was carrying the dagger my father had commissioned for himself." She shook her head, trying to rid the images out of her head, but it seemed they weren't going anywhere. "I had just gone to get it for him and he offered to come with me, but I wanted to do it alone. I guess I did it to prove to myself that I'm strong or brave. Or maybe prove it to him."

"You are strong, Caroline. I've seen it." He smiled at her. "I've heard it with my own ears."

She gave a tight laugh, but continued. "There was blood everywhere. I didn't think a person could hold that much blood in their body." Tears gathered in her eyes and Klaus knelt in front of her, cupping her dainty hands in his and gliding his thumb across her wrist soothingly.

"You are brave. You did what needed to be done. No one would fault you for that." When she didn't respond he continued. "Not all people who do terrible things are terrible people. Do you understand?"

Her watery gaze met his and she nodded. "So now you know one of my secrets."

His smile was small and hesitant, almost shy. "Friends, then?"

Caroline smiled brightly and even though her eyes were rimmed with red, they still shined.

_Friends_, he thought. He had never had any friends growing up. He had his brothers to play with and a throne to prepare for. He was never given the luxury of having someone other than family he could talk to or trust, but something about Caroline made him trust her. She made the steel around his heart crack. He had always turned his inner pain into anger and that meant pain for others, never letting any good in and she had morals, something he lacked.

She wasn't naive, but there was still an innocence to her, even if she didn't think so because of her past indiscretions. She had told him a secret that he was sure she had promised to herself to never tell a living soul, especially one who could send her to her death for the crime. He wanted to trust her. He wanted to talk to her and tell her things because he could barely trust Elijah to keep his secrets anymore. Kol had never been someone he could go to for advice. He was barely ever without a courtesan on his arm long enough.

Klaus's brow scrunched thoughtfully before her blurted, "I'm trying to betroth one of my daughters to Prince Lockwood." A sigh slipped through his lips and he felt a weight being lifted off his chest that he hadn't known was there.

Her own light brows scrunched in confusion as he sat back on his haunches in front of her. "Is that something she wants? And isn't he kind of old?"

"He's not that much older. Maybe eight years at best." He stood, watching the colors of the rug blur by as he paced back and forth. "Does it matter if she really wants this? It would do well for the family."

Caroline grabbed his arm once he went to pass her again, stopping him in his tracks. "Will she at least be happy? I don't know the prince, but will he treat her as Prince Philip treats Rebekah?"

Caroline worried her lip and Klaus shook his head before asking the question he dreaded. If the answer was yes he'd never forgive himself and he'd be jumping into a war much sooner than he had intended. "Does he hurt her?"

Caroline shook her head, placing her hand in his. "She isn't happy though. She hides it well, but I can see it. When she's here she's happy. She loves her family and I think she wishes she was back here. She considers this her home."

Klaus swept a loose wavy curl behind her ear. "And do you call that palace your home?"

She gave him a sad smile and stood. "I don't think I have a home anywhere."

"This could be your home," he offered quietly, but she laughed, shaking her head. Her eyes grew soft and he heard her breathing stutter, offering him a glimmer of hope.

Caroline ripped her hand from his as the large door opened, a guard towering inside of it. "Your Majesty, Sir Benedict and your brothers await your presence in the council's chamber."

Klaus nodded and then turned to Caroline. He was disappointed he'd be leaving her, but there were important things that needed attending. He guided her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss upon it. "I hope to see you again, Lady Caroline."

Her eyes were wide and Klaus didn't think she was breathing, which only made a devious smirk bloom on his face before following the guard.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey Everyone! Sorry this took so long. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

"What have you found," Klaus asked, startling everyone as he waltzed into the chamber.

Candles and torches burned in every corner, trying to scare away the darkness, but only succeeded in making the room hot and suffocating.

Captain Benedict, one of Klaus's most trusted explorers and renowned sailor stood, waving his dark cloak behind him with a flourish. "Your Majesty," he began with his deep baritone cadence, "we found land that I've had sketched for you. I sent out scouts and didn't find anyone who would be a threat to us."

"Natives?" he asked and with the sailor's nod he continued, "And I trust the weather was good?" Klaus sat at his desk, facing the four men who were present, one of whom was Benedict's right hand.

"Very, your Majesty," he answered and sat back against his wooden chair with an air of arrogance. "We were able to hunt and forage for food with little trouble. It seems we may be the first to have discovered it from the West. I don't believe the natives will be a problem. They're so...primative."

Klaus tapped a finger against the desk where the sketches sat. "Was anyone left behind?"

The Captain nodded. "Twelve warriors, all loyal to you of course, and the volunteer townsmen. Before I left they were beginning to settle by the sea."

"Should we send more people?" Elijah asked from his corner. "A couple ships full of families and warriors should protect the land and make claim to it. We don't want anyone finding out about these lands before we are able to protect it."

The men talked amongst themselves, telling stories of the new land as Klaus stayed silent. He wasn't sure what the best call to action was at the moment. On one hand he wanted to make sure his people could flourish in the new land. If they had harsh winters as they sometimes had in his kingdom he didn't want to sacrifice more of his people. On the other hand, he wanted to lay claim before word got to any of the other countries and they decided to settle as well.

"Send spies to the East," he commanded.

"Brother?" Elijah questioned and then turned to Benedict and his fellow sailor. "If you'll excuse us." When the two men left and the door was securely locked, he spoke again, "Why would you send spies there?"

Klaus met Elijah's unwavering stare with his own. "I need to know what they may be planning."

"Aren't you being a little paranoid?" Kol joked, but sat straighter in his chair when Klaus's eyes narrowed.

Elijah cleared his throat and wandered towards the desk. "If they were planning anything than Rebekah would know," he reasoned.

But Klaus shook his head, his blonde locks brushing his shoulders. "I doubt Rebekah's presence does anything there, when she _is_ there, at least. You've heard how she speaks about the Queen. Do you not think the old woman knows how our darling sister feels about her? Do you not think the crone talks to her son, commanding him to speak of nothing to Rebekah or doesn't have at least one of her loyalists as a lady in waiting? The Queen may be old, but she hasn't lost her wits."

"I'll dispatch two of my men," Kol offered and Klaus nodded. "What of the Lockwood's? Aren't they our biggest threat?"

"Try to get word to our spies there," he commanded. "I need to know the second a decision is made about the betrothal."

Kol bowed before leaving to do as he was asked.

Klaus fingered through his mother's book absently as he stared off, thinking.

_A New World emerges from the sea,_

_Abundance for all who reserve,_

_Prosperity and riches,_

_Fear and famine._

He had to time this right. If the book was correct in its prediction he would have found one of the biggest land masses and could control its resources. If it wasn't correct than Klaus had simply found more land. Either way there could be a war. The East were his allies, as well as the Salvatore's land in the South, but the Lockwood's needed to be controlled. He needed to take the threat out because if they battled with each other Klaus wasn't sure if he would win. Klaus's soldiers were trained to be dangerous and brutal in their tactics, however King Lockwood had numbers.

"Are we sure this betrothal should happen?"

Klaus's eyes flicked up to meet Elijah's. "Yes, _we_ are and I'd appreciate it if our conversations didn't make it back to the Queen."

Elijah looked away, guilty. "I'm sorry if I've offended you."

"Are you?" Klaus asked, his temper getting the better of him. "Sometimes I don't know if you'll stand by my side or if you'll betray me. You and your silver tongue could always lure others into a false sense of security. You could make promises and tell everyone what they want to hear while simultaneously stabbing them in the back with their own dagger."

"You're my brother, Niklaus. I would never betray you," he declared sternly.

Klaus stared at him for a long time in silence before a hurried knock at the door took away his attention.

"Your Majesty, the guards found someone," a servant rushed out, trying to catch his breath. "They're out in the courtyard."

Klaus stood quickly, his chair flying behind him and Elijah following suit as they both made their way to the open stone balcony that overlooked the courtyard.

"My King," one of the guards spoke loudly as the other guard next to him held a struggling and bloodied man. "he tried to escape the keep. The traitor," the guard snarled, "who disgraced himself, his family, and his country."

Klaus squinted his eyes to see the man's face more clearly, hardly recognizing him by the damage his guards had done to him. When he realized who it was his lip curled in disgust. The man had betrayed Klaus, falling in love with a woman who Klaus was using as leverage over the Lockwood's, the King's mistress. She had secrets that Klaus wanted, secrets that only a woman could derive from a man.

The imbecile of a soldier couldn't see that she was using him to get out of her confinement and he released her. It took some time, but Klaus had eventually gotten the woman back, presenting his former soldier with her head as he rotted in the keep with the other criminals. Secrets be damned, Klaus had no patience for traitors.

"Trevor," Klaus spoke, "tried to leave so soon? We were just getting started with your punishment. You know I don't take actions like yours lightly."

The brunette, whose hair was stained red from his own blood, was thrown into the dirt on his hands and knees.

"I beg of you..." the man started, but Klaus ignored him.

"Perhaps we should speed it up?" Klaus motioned for the guard to pick Trevor back up, holding him in place.

"My King, I'm sorry," Trevor pleaded. "I..."

"You what?" Klaus interrupted, his blood pressure building and ready to burst his blood vessels in his rage. "Sorry as to fall for childish tricks? No one betrays me!" he bellowed, addressing the people who milled around the courtyard and had stopped what they were doing to watch. Some people wore expressions of horror, yet more bore looks of excitement for the show that would surely ensue.

"I sentenced you to die and you've brought that day closer by trying to escape like the coward you are." Klaus looked to the guard who stood by and with a nod the guard sunk his short blade into the prisoner's gut, twisting it for good measure.

Everyone watched as Trevor's bleeding body fell, a pool of red saturating the ground beneath him as he choked and spewed blood out his mouth.

"Let this be a lesson," Klaus warned darkly as he watched Trevor's body finally still.

A flash of gold caught his eye and he saw Caroline's face, horror stricken. He stared at her, sadness filling his heart of her seeing his cruelty, but he wouldn't apologize. This was who he was and no one could change him, not even her tender heart could deter him from his ultimate goals.

_Was it just an hour ago they had sat next to a fire confiding in each other_, he mused sadly.

He finally ripped his eyes from hers, returning to his study.

oooOooo

"We should throw a party," Rebekah stated as she stood in the middle of her chamber and her ladies helped her into her night dress.

"Would that be appropriate? Someone just died," Caroline asked without taking her eyes away from the needlepoint she was desperately trying to construct into perfection.

Rebekah scoffed, shaking out her long blonde hair that had been released from its tight confinement of being wrapped into a twist. "He was a traitor, Caroline. Nothing more."

"Every life has meaning," she mumbled, but Rebekah didn't hear her as the ladies fawned over her.

"Have I received any correspondence?" Rebekah asked Margret as she slid into bed.

"No, My Lady."

Caroline peered up from what she was doing, gauging Rebekah's temperament from her expression. When the princess shrugged and dismissed them all it confirmed her suspicions. Rebekah was in fact waiting for the prince to write to her.

She remembered what Klaus had said at dinner the first night they had come, teasing Rebekah about the prince not noticing she was gone. Caroline hung her head as she walked towards the chamber door to leave.

"Caroline, stay for a bit?" Rebekah asked, but wasn't actually giving Caroline a choice.

"What do you need?" she asked, spreading her pale yellow day dress over the piles of blankets that covered the bed as she sat.

"Do you like being here?"

Caroline shrugged. "Apart from the murdering, yes. It's nice here."

Rebekah lounged back against the soft pillows, wickedness glowing through her eyes. "I have reason to believe that you may be asked to stay."

Caroline sighed. If she was asked to stay she knew it would be at the insistence of the King. After what she had seen that day she didn't think she'd be able to look at him the way she had begun to. She'd seen the cruelty reflected in his eyes as he stood above his court. She felt stupid for opening up to him and starting to believe he was different. A man like him never changed.

"If that's what is commanded of me," Caroline hesitantly answered, hoping Rebekah would tell her she was jesting, but she didn't.

After Rebekah had dismissed her, Caroline found herself laying in her bed, staring at the canopy where the shadows from the fire danced and swirled with her chaotic thoughts. Thousands of questions floated through her mind and gruesome scenes from earlier that day played in a loop, horrifying her all over again.

After the seventh time she'd tried turning on her side and trying to get comfortable she let out a huff of frustration. Her mind wouldn't keep calm long enough for her to get a minute of rest.

Bouncing out of bed and grabbing a dress that was easy to put on, she roamed the halls of the castle. She passed the guards who blended in with the tapestries, passed rooms that she could hear midnight games being played and even found herself blocked by a guard, leading her away from the royal suites.

She strolled the grounds until the sunlight filtered through the windows and she wandered into a part of the castle, a hallway to be more precise, that hugged the darkness like a warm blanket. And that was where she found him.

Klaus stood facing a small painting of a bowl of fruit that she had seen his daughter show him earlier. He was still dressed in his long dark red tunic embroidered with gold, making Caroline wonder if he had slept that night.

"How could you have done that today?" she whispered without thinking and she saw his shoulders tense.

"It's a part of the life of a king, Sweetheart."

"Is that your answer for everything?" She walked closer and she was less than a foot away when he finally turned to look at her.

"Should I have let him go? You want me to be that kind of a king? You wish me to pardon people to the point where anyone could cross me and there would be no repercussions?" She stepped back as he stepped towards her. "I'm not afforded the luxury of living in a land where everything is happy all the time."

"Then you gain allies not friends or love."

"Allies don't know me as anything more that the monster they tell their children about at night. Friends and loved ones make you weak. They know things about you and could betray you in a second for just a coin."

"You think I'd betray you?"

He turned back towards a dark painting with angry swipes of paint that would urge anyone to touch the raised patterns. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Why? I told you a secret. Would you betray me? Would you lock me in the keep as well for the horrible thing I did?"

"Of course not," he stated fast and spun to face her weary eyes again, but he couldn't keep eye contact with her. He didn't know if he was ashamed that she had seen the cruelty in him or if he would do anything in his power to keep her from the things that could hurt her. She made him weak, he knew that, and she made him care far more that he was willing to admit. There was a small number of people, mostly his children, that he truly cared for and she had somehow snuck her way into that category.

"Then show these people the mercy you'd show me," she pleaded.

"It's not that easy, Caroline."

"Why? Because you're not trying to bed them?"

His eyes flared in irritation and Caroline could hear him grinding his teeth. "Yes, I want to bed you, however I find myself feeling more, as I've told you before."

"How can I believe you? How can I let myself fall for someone who would do these things and say these things. Why should I believe that you wouldn't betray me the moment it suits your needs?"

Klaus was speechless and Caroline realized she may have said too much once again. As he came closer she backed away, ultimately hitting the wall behind her. She expected him to be angry, possibly harm her for speaking out of turn, but what she didn't expect was for him to grab her by the neck and crash his lips against hers for a heated kiss.

Their tongues clashed and Caroline's hands wound their way into his hair, holding him exactly where she wanted him and he held her tight, as if he was scared she'd float away. She couldn't hear anything but their labored breathing as he worshipped her lips his own and everything became fuzzy like a day dream. He made her heart pound and every thought melt away and all Caroline could do was enjoy this small moment.

When their lips parted and they were both panting, their lips swollen and hot to the touch, he whispered, "I don't know what I can do to prove myself to you, but I _will_ keep trying,"

"Maybe stop executing people?" she wondered lightly.

"How do you make me feel this way? You've bewitched me, Caroline," he said, backing away.

She knew she shouldn't feel anything for him, but he was alluring and before she could help herself she pulled him back into her, kissing him thoroughly. She knew it was asinine to assume this would rid him from her thoughts and it would be better if she stayed away from him, but he was like a magnet to her. She knew all of the horrible things he'd done and she knew she shouldn't be kissing him, but giving in this one time wouldn't hurt. No one would have to find out that she kissed the monster and liked it, but she was scared as their kisses continued because she could feel herself gently falling for him.

She broke away from his lips as his slid over her cheeks and to her neck. For a couple of seconds she was able to enjoy the tingling sensation his kisses left behind before she lightly pushed him away, his eyes half lidded with lust which was mirrored in her own.

"I can't do this."

"Why?" he asked bluntly, his eyes glancing down to her red lips.

She didn't know what to say at first until sanity finally found its way through her foggy mind. "You're married and I never want to be a mistress. I want to be married someday." When Klaus rolled his eyes, she continued, "And I want to be untouched until my wedding night. I want my future husband to be my one and only."

He nodded in understanding, taking her hands. "I would make you my queen in a second," he whispered so no one but her could hear.

She smiled at the compliment. "We're too late."

She pulled her hand from his and headed back towards her bedroom, not giving herself the option to glance back as a lone tear made its way down her cheek.


	6. Chapter 6

**I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or its characters**

As Caroline sat at the desk in her bed chamber she attempted to write a letter, but she could barely concentrate. What Rebekah had proposed all those days ago repeated itself over and over, making her more nervous by the day. She wanted to tell whoever would listen that she didn't want to be a lady to the queen, but she knew no one could do anything to help her. She had barely been in the Queen's presence, however she never had a good feeling when she was around. It was like she was always hiding something, which shouldn't surprise Caroline. Every queen had her secrets.

Rebekah was also starting to worry her. Every day that went by without a word from the prince the more ill-tempered and withdrawn she became when no one was watching, but Caroline was watching. She sighed, refusing to think once about the Mikelson brother who plagued her mind. They had traded stolen glances throughout the days and talked while admiring the paintings in his hallway during some of her sleepless nights. She knew it was wrong, but he was a nice companion. He didn't judge her as some in their circle would when she told him about her poor family and he made her laugh, even if he hadn't meant to.

She smiled thinking about it as a servant knocked on the door, peeking their head in.

"Her majesty has called for your presence," she called softly.

As Caroline walked through the winding halls of the royal suites she dragged her feet, knowing why the Queen wanted to see her, but she didn't think it would have been so soon. It was only a week ago that Rebekah had asked her about staying. She hadn't had time to adjust fully to the concept.

"You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?" Caroline asked as she curtsied in front of the queen in the royal bed chamber. She'd never been in a royal suite, but she had imagined it more ornate. She expected a massive room with paintings lining the walls and expensive linens covering the large windows, instead the room was plain and was just as large as hers. It had a fireplace that crackled with dry wood to keep away the cold, but there was nothing special about it. If she hadn't known any better she would have thought it was a guest room. There was nothing personal about the chamber tha would make a person think a queen resided inside.

One of the ladies in waiting attending to the queen moved to the side of the throne-like chair the queen lounged in. Another looked on in curiosity as she brushed the Queen's chocolate colored waves. It was common knowledge that the queen didn't have too many ladies in waiting. Caroline had heard rumors that the queen had some killed for pure enjoyment while others gossiped of the queen wanting only a select few in order to protect her secrets.

"Sit," the Queen ordered with no amount of affability in her tone. As Caroline pooled her dress to take a seat in a slightly uncomfortable straight back chair the queen spoke. "I hear you're from the East." At Caroline's nod she continued, "I've spoken to Rebekah and it seems we'd be very happy to have you live here as one of my attending ladies."

Caroline didn't miss the connotation that it wasn't the queen's preference or choice. It didn't help that her brown eyes showed no kindness, only boredom.

"Of course." Caroline raised her chin a fraction as the queen looked her over from head to toe, waving the other two ladies away and out of the chamber to give them privacy.

"You'll learn a lot being here and I trust you know how to keep things to yourself." At Caroline's nod she resumed, "I expect you to know your place as one of my ladies. You'll perform any task I ask of you without question. You're not a lady in waiting for a common princess anymore." Caroline barely had time to take a breath before the queen was across the room, bending down to whisper in her ear. "I don't like you," she stated bluntly, but it didn't take Caroline by surprise. It was obvious. "I don't understand what my husband sees in you, but I expect you to treat him in public as you would any king, not someone who you're whoring for."

Her eyes flared in indignation. "I'm not..."

"Did I say you could speak? And I expect you to treat me better than anyone you've ever met because from this moment on I control your future."

Caroline held the queen's eyes longer than she knew was appropriate, but no one had ever accused her of being meek. "I understand," she gritted.

Hayley paced over to her wardrobe, holding out a beautiful velvet red dress, lined with pearls and gold embroidery. "Tonight is Rebekah's silly masked party. You'll be there of course, along with everyone else, but you'll act as my ears. You will tell me any rumors you hear and you should get to know the other wealthy men who will be there." She smiled falsely. "I'm sure you'll be marrying one of them at some point." Her smile fell. "Now leave. Genevieve and Mary will help me get ready."

As Caroline turned to leave the room the queen had one last comment that made her want to curse Rebekah for essentially giving her away.

"Don't make me regret taking you under my wing."

Caroline wanted to scoff at the concept, but held her tongue. She didn't think the queen would have any problem with ordering someone to rip it from her mouth.

oooOooo

"Isn't it wonderful," Rebekah whispered from her place in line, her arm looped around Elijah's.

A trumpet sounded, announcing the precession into the lavishly decorated ballroom was about to begin.

Kol walked in by himself as he usually did, smirking from underneath the brown and black feathered mask. The women in the room giggled when they saw him and he relished in the lustful gazes he always drew from them as well. Finn and Sage walked down the red carpet, both wearing masks portraying pure white swans, feathers floating around Sage's bright red hair. Next, a glitzy peacock, on the arm of a black bear, made their way down the aisle with Rebekah's ladies trailing behind them. The crowd of masked creatures bowed their heads in respect as the king and queen, disguised as a ram and a fox, strutted into the room. Rebekah had pleaded with him to not wear a mask depicting such a filthy animal, but Klaus listened to no one. Hayley's three ladies followed close behind as they helped her sit with her extravagant dress.

Notes of music floated into people ears, colored linens hung down from the ceiling, mead flowed freely, and delicious spreads of meats and cheeses littered the decorated tables. Caroline didn't think she'd seen that much food before, stuffing noble men and women's stomachs. It was more than she was used to seeing with the royals in the East and it disgusted her to think there were people outside this expensive ball that had not a crumb to eat while she and the nobles ate like kings.

Laughter abounded from flirting women and drunken men as Caroline made her way through the crowd. A hand touched the back of her iridescent blue dress that had green and gold feathers lining the collar. She turned quickly to rebuke the person who dared touch her, but stopped when the face of a falcon stared back at her. _Kol,_ she thought.

"Lord Kol," she acknowledged with a curtsy, the pointed beak of her mask dipping dangerously towards the floor.

She could see the smirk he wore from under the mask as he held out his hand.

She took it without a word as Kol led her towards the other dancing couples. They moved in their own fragmentary way to the flute and drums that played until Caroline couldn't take the silence any longer. "You're a wonderful dancer," she noted, not faltering once with his direction.

He pulled her close and her heart skipped as he whispered softly in her ear. "As are you," he said, but Caroline wasn't expecting the owner of the voice to be Klaus.

She gasped, but twirled in his arms as he dictated. "What do you think you're doing?" she whispered, her eyes flicking over to the thrones that were occupied by two people, one the oblivious queen and the other, she imagined, Kol.

"I seem to be dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room."

She looked away, not having the energy to argue and fight off his charm after being under the Queen's scrutiny all day. It didn't help her position if he acted like this in public. They could be friends in private when the darkness concealed them. "I believe you're also dancing too close for what's appropriate," she scolded.

"Well I _am_ pretending to be my brother and as you may have noticed, he's not the most proper person, nor does he seem to care for propriety rules."

"Well I do," she replied and he answered by pulling slightly away from her, in the mean time creating a slight smile appear from his acquiescence. "Thank you."

They danced until the music came to stop, but kept going as another song started. They both kept silent, comfortable with just listening to the people chatting around them, blending in with the melody of the song. Everything was forgotten as they glided across the floor in each other's arms, hidden within the crowd.

What was she doing? She should have pulled away from him as soon as he had exposed his identity. If the queen found out she'd be furious and Caroline couldn't imagine what she would do. Would she punish Caroline or would she kick her out of the castle. At that moment Caroline wanted more than anything to leave the castle, but it wasn't an option and her heart hurt at the thought of leaving, so she kept dancing in Klaus's embrace. She tried to pretend their lives weren't complicated and she pretended they were two people with no titles or responsibility. She delighted in the butterflies that filled her stomach every time his rough fingers caressed the back of her hand, knowing she should try and ignore it.

Her temporary bubble of bliss was interrupted when a squire jostled her as he rushed towards the "king" and queen, drawing a low growl from Klaus. They both stopped moving as they watched the squire lean down to Kol, whispering something.

Klaus turned his attention back to Caroline and whispered, "I believe my brother will be needing me."

She nodded, registering his loss of companionship and body heat once he had kissed her hand and walked confidently to the thrones. She smiled to herself, how could she have believed he was Kol?

oooOooo

As the door shut to Klaus's personal office he whipped off the falcon mask he wore, receiving a shocked expression from Elijah at the guise.

"What is it?" he asked the equally fooled squire.

The young man shook himself from the surprise. "You received word from the Lockwood's."

When the man didn't speak Klaus spit, "Well? Am I going to wait all night?"

"Apologies," he mumbled and retrieved a letter from his worn leather pouch, handing it to Klaus.

The brothers watched as the man rushed from the room, his dark cape billowing behind him.

Klaus's lips lifted a bit when he noticed the Lockwood seal in red wax. As he read silently his lips lifted more and more. "They've accepted the betrothal," he announced, a smug smile directed towards Elijah.

Kol grinned at Klaus's satisfaction that he knew was ruffling his other brother's feathers. "So Gwendolyn will be betrothed to Tyler Lockwood? When shall this happy marriage take place?" Kol asked, sitting at the table in the middle of the room and resting his boots on the table top, waiting for a fight between the brother's to start.

"We'll have a betrothal ceremony as soon as possible and she'll marry when she's sixteen," Klaus informed the room, re-reading the letter.

Elijah cleared his throat. "Are you sure of this, Niklaus?"

Klaus sighed loudly. "If you ask me that question again, Elijah, I swear..."

"Threatening your brother?" Elijah asked calmly, no emotion showing on his face. "Aren't we more mature than that?"

"Apparently not," Klaus said with a smirk as he saw Elijah grit his teeth. "Kol, write to the Lockwood's and invite them to the castle for the ceremony. I want this betrothal secured within a fortnight."

Kol nodded and with a last mocking glint in his eyes towards Elijah he left.

"This is your daughter, Niklaus. How could you put her in the hands of your enemy?"

Klaus's eyebrow raised at the tone of defensiveness towards his daughter. "Well, in a few weeks time they'll be my allies and I'm protecting her whether you believe it or not. Contrary to what you think because you are sleeping with my daughter's mother, it is none of your concern. I'm making a decision that will protect my daughter's future."

"I think..."

"What you think, Brother, you can keep to yourself."

"Because I'm your brother I know you have other motives that aren't just of a protective father." He casually walked towards a window, looking towards the forest that stretched before him. "I should have known you were wearing the falcon mask tonight. I didn't think you'd allow Kol to dance so close to an object of your obsession. We all watched you, or who we thought was you, sitting on your throne and watching the party. But that was never your plan, was it?" At Klaus's glare, he continued, "The point is you're good at masking your real intentions until the moment suits you. Is this girl just a pawn in your game as well?"

"Stop talking, Elijah, or I will carry out my threats."

"Sadly, I believe you." Elijah walked towards the door, but stopped just before walking out. "A hummingbird. It suits her, don't you think?"

Once the door was closed Klaus threw an old vase, smashing the thick terracotta to pieces against the wood. Having Elijah over the years as a confidant, Klaus recognized the thinly veiled threat to Caroline when he heard it.

oooOooo

_There is not much to speak of here in the West. The weather is cold, but not as bitter as it is there in the East. I fear Rebekah grows restless from you keeping your son from writing. I know this isn't a letter that will please you due to the lack of information, but I beg you to keep your promise. I've done everything you've asked of me, even accepting a place as a lady in waiting. When I find something of interest to you I will write again. I promise._

Caroline set her quill down, tears pooling her eyes.

**I hope you liked it! There's some symbolism that's described with the different masks. **

**Klaus= Falcon= It's a bird of prey and can be preying for its own self serving reasons, and it's often used as a sign for victory**

**Caroline=Hummingbird= Can see what often is concealed, brave**

**Hayley=fox= Sly, cunning, trickery**

**Elijah=Bear= Symbol for a person who can cut yu with just their words**

**Rebekah=Peacock= Bold**

**Kol= Ram= An animal associated with lust**

**Finn and Sage= Swans= Birds that mate for life**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the late update and I know this is just a filler chapter, but I'm trying to bring the different incidents together. I'm trying to update soon. Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows! I'm kind of surprised. If you have any input at all, let me know and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

"Do I look pretty?" the dark haired ten year old asked, spinning around in a circle in her newly made pink gown as Caroline tried braiding her hair.

Caroline smiled, not bothered that it was taking almost an hour to style the little girl's locks. She knew the young princess was awaiting the inevitable betrothal ceremony taking place that night with high hopes and elation. She'd worn a huge smile throughout the day and couldn't stop babbling, making Caroline smile in return.

"You look beautiful, Gwendolyn," Caroline answered as the girl beamed at her. "Now come and sit," she ordered lightly, pointing to the chair she stood behind.

The girl sat with a huff as Caroline pulled her hair tight. "What do you think he's like, Anne?" Gwendolyn asked her nursemaid who had been busy putting away the sewing kit.

The older woman turned her steely eyes to the girl, unnerving Caroline in their unkindness. "I don't know. I've never met him," the stoic woman answered stiffly.

As Caroline rolled her eyes, concentrating on finishing the task she had been asked, she commented, "I think he is probably handsome." She saw the girl grin and continued, "And he is probably a kind and gentle person. You will make a beautiful queen someday," she said, finishing the girl's hair and holding a looking glass for her to inspect Caroline's work.

Klaus's daughter smiled at her reflection, but Caroline saw it falter a moment later.

Caroline bent down so they were eye level. "What's wrong?"

Dark, lost, brown eyes stared back at her. "What if he doesn't like me?" she whispered, glancing to the side to make sure the nursemaid wasn't paying attention.

Caroline gave her a small smile and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "You are a beautiful princess. You're smart, fun," she said and Gwendolyn's smile widened with each praise. "And most importantly, you have a good heart."

The young girl flung herself at Caroline, hugging her so tight Caroline was surprised at her strength and the fact that she didn't fall backwards.

A throat being cleared from the doorway startled all three girls in the room. Caroline could see Klaus's eyes soften as he stared at the scene he had interrupted and as his daughter ran to him, hugging his waist.

"You look wonderful, Darling," he stated, hugging her back quickly as if it were unnatural. "You're mother is looking for you. I believe she has something she wanted to give you."

Before Klaus could get his full sentence out Gwendolyn was running down the hall, her surly nursemaid following behind.

Caroline started to clean up the stray ribbons, placing them in a box before acknowledging Klaus.

"She does look very happy."

Klaus walked further into the room. "You're a natural," he observed, catching Caroline off guard. At her questioning gaze he replied, "With children. You seem like a natural."

She smiled timidly. "Hopefully I'll be blessed someday with having children."

Klaus's smirk turned teasing. "And how many little terrors would you someday wish to have, Caroline?"

She shook her head with a smile. "I would have a home filled with little _angels_," she enunciated.

"So, they would take after you."

She rolled her eyes.

"I bet they'd be just as beautiful."

"Your Majesty," she scolded, but the heat behind the words diminished with her smile that appeared.

Klaus glanced around the room and Caroline hadn't realized how close they had drifted towards each other. "There's no one here, so I think it's safe to call me Klaus."

"Fine, Klaus." She gave him a look that said, _are you happy_, but he smiled cunningly. She ignored him and went to fold Gwendolyn's discarded clothing the nursemaid had left behind. "The feast tonight should be wonderful after the ceremony." She glanced behind her and saw Klaus's brows furrowed. "You're troubled," she stated, placing the garments on a nearby chair and making her way to him. "You don't like the Lockwood's being here."

He sighed. He knew he should be concerned that she could read him so well, but it didn't bother him. He wanted her to get to know him. He was willing for her to get close to him, if only to see him as a man and it wasn't like they hadn't shared secrets with one another before. "I've been fighting the Lockwood's all my life. My father fought them just as his father before him. This is unprecedented for our families to come together and although it's been set, I worry there is something coming. Maybe something they aren't telling me."

She was silent for a while, thinking over what he'd said. She walked closer to him until they were mere inches away. "I find that when a person worries, it's their own actions and hidden plans that they fear others will make first. They worry more about being deceived and betrayed before they can do the deceiving themselves."

"And if I have no plans to mislead them?"

She gave him a look. They hadn't known each other for long, but because of their late night chats she knew him better than he thought. Those nights had given her time to study his features and recognize the multiple emotions he experienced each day along with the way he thought. "If that's true than enjoy your daughter's ceremony."

He leaned in quickly and kissed her cheek, the day old growth on his cheeks brushing against her temptingly. "Perhaps I will, Caroline," he whispered, leaving the room and Caroline frozen in her place.

oooOooo

"That was a wonderful ceremony," Mary, one of the queen's ladies remarked as she searched the crowd of people.

Caroline nodded absently as she watched Prince Lockwood observe the party, a frown marring his face as young Gwendolyn stared up at him with adoring eyes.

She didn't know who she felt worse for, the older man who was now attached to a ten year old or the young girl who had yet to come into her own and was now engaged to a man. Caroline knew the girl wouldn't be married until she was older, but she also knew Gwendolyn would pine for a man who would probably never love her back.

She shook her head. When had she became so jaded? She looked back to Rebekah, knowing that all her years of watching the blonde princess sulk and constantly dismissed by the prince was the answer. She hated the queen from her home country in that moment. She hated that Rebekah was treated badly by her husband and she hated what the queen had Caroline doing for her. Sometimes she thought about telling Klaus the truth, but knew she would be thrown into the keep in a second. However, other times she thought maybe that would be best. She was tired of the deceit. It felt like her life was a lie and she had to tell the queen everything she heard or saw, except she kept her secret meetings with Klaus to herself. Those were her special moments that she wouldn't share with anyone. They made her feel normal and kept her sane. Klaus, the most feared king, calmed her and she felt the weight of her duty lift when she had the chance to speak with him.

Although, she wanted to be taken away from this misery and cursed the day the queen's guards had come for her when she was down in the royal kitchens. Those were simpler days, she thought. Cleaning and cooking for the royal household was mindless work, but it made her happy. She had the time to day dream and didn't have to endure the manipulation and treachery that came with being a noble, but leading a simple life, although poor, would never be a future for her. Either life path she took she saw only death for herself. If she was found out she would be put to death for treason or when the queen felt that she was no longer of use, only a liability, it would mean death.

"You shouldn't stare at the king as you are," Mary whispered from Caroline's side, grabbing her attention. She hadn't known her gaze had shifted to Klaus. "We all know the king favors you, but you shouldn't embarrass yourself as you do."

Her eyes widened at the older woman's malicious tone. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Do you not think Queen Hayley doesn't see the way you look at him?" she sneered.

Caroline held her head higher. "I'm a noble woman," she lied. "Day dreaming about the king would be foolish."

"Then I guess you're foolish," she stated meanly and flounced away, her long black hair swaying as she walked.

Caroline could feel the tell tale prickling of her eyes. She took one last glance at Klaus, who she caught staring at her as he spoke with King Lockwood, and walked swiftly from the room. She needed to get away and be alone with her thoughts. She needed to rid herself of the lies that were starting to make her feel dirty.

The door to her room slammed shut behind her as the traitorous tears fell from her eyes. She had deluded herself thinking what her and the king had, which wasn't anything more than friendship, was private. From the orders she was given she should have known there were always eyes watching. She hated the lies she told him and everyone else around her. Even Rebekah had thought she would be a close friend, but she had only been planted as a spy. No one seemed to know the real her, although Klaus seemed to know the most. He knew little pieces that made up the real her, but not enough to make her feel honest.

Her eyes caught on a creamy white folded letter that sat on her correspondence desk. The red wax seal indicated it was from a noble family in the East, a crest she was used to seeing when the queen wrote her letters.

She broke the seal and long blonde hairs fluttered to the ground. Caroline's eyes widened and were fastened to the hair that lied on the thin carpet under her feet. She knew the color as she knew her own and pictured her mother's smile, but it soon contorted into agonizing pain and sadness.

Her eyes scanned the ugly words and threats that contrasted against the beautiful penmanship.

Caroline couldn't breathe. Her throat constricted and went dry, the corset she wore on a daily basis felt too constricting and the room too hot. She started to panic, trying desperately to rip the garment from her body so she wouldn't faint. A painful sob escaped her lips and she felt like a knife had pierced her heart, ripping it in two.

The queen wanted information and thought that a piece of her mother would be motivation. If Caroline didn't provide useful information almost immediately she would receive another part of her mother, something more vital to life than her hair.

"Mom," she whimpered from her place on the cold stone where she had crumpled, half dressed and rocking back and forth.

oooOooo

Klaus paced his sleeping chamber, still dressed from that evenings party. He couldn't sleep knowing the Lockwood's slept just down the hall from him. Caroline had been right, he was troubled by their presence and was concerned they would try to do something. Knowing himself, he'd probably have a plan if the situation were reversed. _Was he being too paranoid?_ he wondered, but scoffed at himself a moment later. He hadn't stayed king this long by trusting others.

His father had succumbed to an early grave as did his father before him. Granted his grandfather had been battling an illness when he died, it was his father who was poisoned. It was a possible reason Elijah had abdicated the throne to pass down to Klaus. Or the knowledge that it had been Klaus who had done the poisoning.

A light knock on his door brought his attention and had him grabbing the dagger that lay on his night table. His hand loosened on the blade when he thought it could be Caroline. Although she had never wandered to this part of the castle, not that he hadn't fantasized of her coming to him during the night, but at this moment he needed her. He needed her calming presence and wise words, but knew it couldn't be her.

"Come in," he commanded in a hard tone, his stance spread apart and his dagger at the ready for any threat that came.

His hand loosened when a chestnut haired girl timidly walked into the chamber. "Father, may I speak to you?"

Klaus sighed, throwing his blade on the bed. "Adrianna, why aren't you asleep?"

The girl closed the heavy oak door and leaned back against the wood. "I was having bad dreams."

Klaus lifted an eyebrow, not truly believing his eldest daughter. "What's the real reason?"

She sighed, stepping forward with her long white night dress trailing behind her. "The Lockwood's bother me. I don't like them," she admitted, her tone serious, along with her blue eyes that looked so similar to his own.

A quiet laugh escaped his mouth. "I don't think anyone actually likes them, Dear."

"Then why did you betroth Gwendolyn to their prince?" she asked, stepping forward with determination.

"Everything will be clear to you someday. There are things you don't need to know right now."

"She won't be happy, you know. She'll be sad for as long as she is married to that man. I don't think it's fair. She should be in love with the man she's supposed to marry." She looked away before mumbling, "Not like you and Mother."

Klaus looked towards the heavens. No one ever said raising children was easy, especially not girls. "Your sister and her betrothed prince will learn to respect each other and I really don't think we're speaking of your sister any longer, are we not?"

The young girl was stunned, her eyes wide, but also careful. "I don't know what you're speaking of."

Klaus started to circle her, taking in her rigid stance and heavy breathing. He knew she was lying and that was something he'd have to teach her once she became of age to learn to lead. "Do you not think your mother and I wouldn't be told that you spend too much of your time in the gardens?" he asked and the girl let out a breath and turned to her father, her eyes pleading.

"I'm sorry," she started to implore, but Klaus cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"You're royalty, Adrianna, and we must be cautious of those we associate with and who we can trust. Did you ever think that he could be using you? He could be trying to raise his station. Who knows, maybe he's ambitious and believes he could go from gardener's son to consort."

"He wouldn't do that," she declared angrily. "He loves me. He told me so."

He stopped in front of her, conveying the seriousness of her situation. "What of the girl from the village who sells fabrics at the market? Do you think he didn't tell her he loves her as well."

Adrianna's face scrunched up in sadness and denial at her father's words. "No," she whispered and Klaus could tell she was trying to figure out a way to prove him wrong.

Klaus sighed and brought his hands to his daughter's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Darling. I've had him followed. I needed to know if he was a threat to you." When she was silent and staring at her feet he continued. "I didn't tell you this to hurt you. In fact I told you for just the opposite. You need to be cautious with the title you hold. You will someday become this country's leader and some people will try to exploit that through your soft heart."

"So I should be like you and not have a heart," she whispered with a hard broken voice. When her gaze met Klaus it was full of rage and hurt, something he knew much about. "I should close myself off to the people who love me the most and distrust anyone who comes near me? Should I learn to sleep with a dagger next to my bed as you do," she cried louder, gesturing to the finely forged steel that laid in the middle of his large bed.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you," he agreed.

"You won't find love that way. Second guessing everything and everyone."

He wanted to roll his eyes. _Now she was beginning to sound like Caroline_, he thought. "No, but it keeps you alive."

"But what kind of life is that?" she asked desperately as he turned away from her to look out his window.

"A lonely one," he whispered, but the door Adrianna had come in from was slammed shut behind her as she rushed out.

Klaus stood at his window until the oranges and purples could be seen crawling over the horizon and disappearing into the dark forest. He knew he'd been harsh with his daughter, but he had told her the truth. The sooner she found out what kind of life she would lead the less likely it would debilitate her if she learned it in the future. He hated himself for it, of course, but it couldn't be helped. _This incident would make her stronger in the end_, he told himself, trying to believe it was the right thing to do.

Another knock at his door made him pray it wasn't his daughter coming back to get more lashings in before breaking fast.


	8. Chapter 8

**First, thank you to all the kind reviews and the follows and favorites I received.** **Here's another update! I hope you all like it. It's going to start getting juicy. Let me know what you think or any suggestions you may have. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Caroline wrote the letter she had been dreading. It was never a secret that the Lockwood's and Mikalson's were anything but enemies and that's why she told the queen about the alliance. The two most powerful kingdoms, who Caroline imagined could defeat anyone, were now tied together, making them an unstoppable force.

She informed the queen about the future marriage between the prince and princess, hoping it would be enough. Being one of the ladies in waiting to the queen one would think it would make Caroline privy to secret information, but she had nothing. All she had was information that would be public knowledge soon enough and she had to pray that this was going to be enough to keep her mother safe.

She sat back in her chair, the candle that sat beside her flickering from the mentally exhaustive sigh that came out of her mouth. She hated telling things to the queen, but it was for a good reason. _The best reason_, she told herself. There was no other way to keep her family safe.

She gazed at the full moon that was so bright it made the night feel less dangerous. Still in her day clothing she made her way out of her bed chamber and around the twisting hallways until she found their hallway, as she liked to call it.

"Can we go outside tonight?" she asked the figure that stood so still she thought he may have been a sculpture.

When he turned, setting his bright blue gaze on her, she took a deep breath, the butterflies already making themselves known.

"As you wish, Sweetheart."

The air was cold enough she could see her breath, puffing out like smoke as they walked in silence through the empty gardens.

"The night usually feels so scary or forbidden. My mother never let me out at night when I was younger." She let out a short laugh that instantly made her sad and homesick for the woman.

"You've never been outside at night?" he asked, disbelieving.

She smiled sideways at him. "I never said that."

"Not as innocent as she seems," he pondered with a smile. "Tell me more about your family."

She frowned, looking straight ahead at the maze they had entered. She had mentioned to him before how she came from a poor family and he never bothered asking how her station in life had risen. Should she add more lies to the already mountain of them she kept?

She absently shook her head. She didn't want to lie to him anymore. He made her want to be herself. People thought Klaus was broken, but she was too. Was that why she wanted to be around him? Were they that much alike or were they both trying to save one another from an already sinking ship?

"My father was a merchant, always traveling," she confessed. "My mother worked in the laundry."

She gave him a sideways glance when he only nodded. Was he going to ask her the question she didn't have an answer for?

"Where did your father travel?" he asked instead.

She shrugged. "Everywhere I assume. We could never write to him when he was at sea and we didn't speak much when he was home. I always wanted to know though. I wanted to hear about the different and exotic lands he traveled to. It's silly, but I always dreamed he'd ask me to go with him."

"It surprises me you didn't ask him," he said to lighten the mood. "Or at least tell him you were coming with him."

"Am I that stubborn?"

"I like to think you're persistent."

She smiled and squinted her eyes at him. "Are you sure you're not speaking about yourself?"

He laughed, a sound she thought she could get used to if she were someone else. Maybe if she was the honest noble woman she claimed to be. With the lies she had to weave someone was bound to find out and then she'd be gone and forgotten. She would just be another betrayer, charged with treason. She thought back to the man in the courtyard who had been stabbed and bled out due to his crimes. She pressed her hands to her stomach, trying not to imagine the pain.

She stopped walking and they faced each other, blue eyes meeting blue, their breath mingling in the frosty air. She couldn't take it anymore. She needed to tell him and beg for her family's safety. She didn't care if she was stabbed and forced to die in a public forum. Once she told him she'd be free, she'd be signing her death warrant, but she'd be free. _Maybe Klaus will take pity on me and concede to my last request of helping my family_, she thought optimistically.

"I have something to tell you," she announced suddenly, catching him off guard.

He searched her determined expression. "Alright."

Her mouth floundered for a minute as she thought about how to phrase her words and wiped her clammy hands against the inside of her cloak, but instead of a confession she asked, "What was your childhood like?"

His eyebrows raised in surprise and he shrugged, continuing walking down the stone path. "Normal for a prince, I assume. My father was very strict with my brothers and sisters. He didn't seem to like me much though, but I was my mother's favorite."

"Was he mean to you?"

Klaus let out a humorless laugh. "He was evil. Probably more so than I am. The way he taught lessons to us was harsh, but I think I'm stronger for it. When I was six years old I had a horse. He was a beautiful black stallion." As he spoke Caroline couldn't help but smile at the way his eyes lit up. "He was loyal and so fast that when I rode him I felt like I had wings." His face grew dark. "I remember the day I came down to the stables to ride him just after breaking fast and found him on the stable floor, his neck practically decapitated from his body."

Caroline was stunned at his admission that her own eyes started to tear. How could someone do that to a six year old or kill a healthy animal that brutally. Her warm hand slipped into his cooler one, surprising him with the gentle touch.

"It was my father's way to show me that love is a weakness and to show me what he was capable of," he finished.

"I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened to you," she said quietly and wondered how many other tragedies had happened in his life. How many betrayals? A tear slowly made its way down her cheek, but she looked down, hiding it from Klaus. She was another betrayal that would harden his heart.

He stared that their entwined fingers. "Love is a person's greatest weakness," he said quietly, but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself, not her.

She stepped into his body, bringing their hands to rest on his chest. She had an innate desire to make him feel better. She wanted to see that light come back into his eyes. "It can be a strength too."

"How do you make me forget everything?" His eyes seemed confused, but so did hers.

"I don't know. You make me forget myself too."

"I don't love the queen," he admitted suddenly and brought his face closer to hers.

This admission couldn't change anything between them though. She thought they could be friends, but there was a pull towards one another that was undeniable. This attraction had her constantly seeking him out in crowds and kept her sneaking out of her chamber late at night to see him.

"It doesn't matter. You're married."

"And what if I wasn't married," he whispered, his cheek brushing against hers.

"But you are," she whispered back, her breath warming his neck as she inhaled his spicy scent.

"And if I wasn't?"

She pulled away to look into his eyes. They were as serious as she'd ever seen them. "You can't divorce her or get an annulment."

He ignored her statement. "Would you be my queen?"

Her lips wanted so badly to turn upwards, but she kept her expression neutral. "Klaus."

He pulled away, untangling their hands and walking away, the stones under his boots being kicked up with each stride until he stopped ten feet away from her. "I would for you, Caroline," he said, his back still facing her. "I've meant everything I've ever said to you." He turned back towards her, his eyes shining in their sincerity. "I'm irrevocably in love with you."

Her mouth opened in an inaudible gasp. She hadn't thought he felt that strongly for her. She had felt the stirrings of falling in love with him, but she tended to ignore it. She never imagined that she would find a place for herself in the arms of someone like him. She didn't deserve someone who when they did love something they loved it passionately and wholeheartedly. He wouldn't hold back his love for her. _He would tell the world_, she thought.

"I'm a," she began to say, but was interrupted by a squire running full tilt towards them.

"Your Majesty," he yelled as the made his way through the twisting corners of the hedges. "It's the Queen," he gasped out. "She's sick and bleeding."

oooOooo

Klaus sat at the table in the darkness of his study, his feet elevated and his eyes closed. Hayley had miscarried. He couldn't say it was a blessing of sorts, but was it so bad that he was relieved? Apparently no one had known she had been pregnant besides herself and of course Elijah. He wondered what other secrets his brother had kept hidden from him.

Speaking of the devil.

The door creaked open and Elijah slipped in quietly, keeping his stance by the door. "Hayley is fine. Upset, but fine."

His voice sounded loud as a drum as it echoed through the silent room and Klaus didn't acknowledge his unwelcomed intrusion. He kept his eyes closed. He had been so tired this past week. With the Lockwood's still staying within the palace walls he hadn't been sleeping well. He was usually a light sleeper to begin with, but having them around, people he still considered the enemy, had him only lightly sleeping for three hours a night if he slept at all.

"You should probably see her, Klaus. She is your queen after all."

Klaus let out a heavy sigh. "She wants comfort and I'm the last person who could provide that. Go to her yourself."

"She wants to see you. She thinks this was a curse put on her by a certain maiden."

Klaus scoffed. "So dramatic that one."

"Klaus," Elijah said with authority that Klaus hadn't heard since he was a young boy. "At least put on the facade that you still care for her."

Klaus's eyes snapped open and he stalked toward Elijah with fire in his eyes. "Or what?" he asked defiantly, daring his brother to rebuke him.

Elijah straightened himself. "Hayley isn't in her right mind at the moment. She may do something that she'll regret or will just fuel your anger even more."

Klaus said nothing as he left the room, too prideful to admit that Elijah had been right.

His daughters surrounded Hayley's bedside, dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth and running their fingers through her hair. When Klaus's presence was finally noticed only his insolent fifteen year old, Adrianna, ignored him, obviously still sour from their previous encounter.

"Klaus? Is that you?" Hayley asked in a weak voice that made him want to scoff. He could always tell when Hayley was playing damsel in distress and this was one of those times.

"She's better, Father," his second in line, Juliette offered as she stood from the bed and hugged the whimpering Gwendolyn.

"Why don't you girls go and help the ladies in waiting make your mother tea?" he asked nicely, his nine year old, Alice, hugging him before being pulled away by Adrianna.

Once the door was shut and they were left alone Klaus dropped his worried husband persona and Hayley sat up straighter in bed, her eyes once again sharp, not at all unfocused as she'd let her children observe.

"That's better," Klaus commented as her behavior went back to normal.

"The baby was a boy. I know it."

"And you loosing this child is the work of a witch Elijah tells me," he commented, already bored of her silly suspicions.

"It had to have been a curse," she supposed with no proof.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "And who is this evil witch who cast such a curse." Her lips tightened and her eyes grew defiant. That was when Klaus knew. "Where is she?" he asked lowly, his voice coming out like a feral growl.

"Where she belongs."

Klaus stalked to the bed and shook Hayley by her thin shoulders. "Where is she!"

Hayley's dark eyebrow arched. "You care that much for her? You're willing to defy me?"

"You are nothing without me, Hayley, so it is _you_ who defies _me_."

She held her chin high. "I never thought you'd actually learn to love. Too bad she's a commoner."

"No, it's a true shame you're still alive."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone. Sorry this is so late, but the holidays and work were crazy. I hope you like this new chapter and let me know what you think.**

Klaus stormed through the hallways, closer to Caroline with every footfall. As he descended the winding staircase he felt the degrees dropping with every step, barely cooling the heat he could feel broiling through his veins.

The dank underground, lit only by torches, made Klaus's skin feel dirty as soon as he turned the corner. People cried from their locked cells as some threw themselves at the iron bars as Klaus walked by, some begging to be let go and others ranting madly.

He finally came upon Caroline, huddled in the corner and trying to keep off the chill with a thin blanket. With every shiver he saw wrack her body his rage built until he could feel the vein in his forehead throbbing.

"Let her out," he commanded, as a nearby guard nervously shuffled through his multitude of keys.

"Klaus," she exclaimed and ran to the bars, so close to him, but not nearly enough for his liking.

She should be wrapped in soft linens and draped with jewels. He would want her surrounded by sweet smelling perfumes not the smell of vomit and other bodily fluids. Someone like her should never see the inside of the retched underbelly of the castle.

"I said, let her out," he commanded again, but kept his eyes on Caroline, feeling a bit impatient at the guard's inability to find one simple key.

"No," she answered, looking deep into Klaus's eyes and he was stunned by their fortitude. "I deserve to stay."

Klaus shook his head. "I don't care if Hayley said you were a witch. I wouldn't even care if you were a witch," he whispered, grasping the bars that separated them. "I won't let you spend one more second down here."

"You don't understand." She backed away and Klaus could feel the distance deep in his bones. "I tried telling you before."

"Telling me what?"

She looked away from him, but he still saw the tears that filled her eyes. "I never meant for it to happen. I swear, but I had to. I had no choice."

"Caroline."

Her sad eyes bored into his. "I'm a spy for the queen in the East."

oooOooo

Her world was crashing all around her. Tears fell down her cheeks as she hugged her legs.

"There's no reason to cry, my Lady. It's just a little cold," a maid informed Caroline as she picked up the barely touched food that sat on the nearby nightstand in Caroline's chamber. "You'll be back to yourself soon. Now get some rest," the sweet older woman instructed before leaving.

She wished she only had a cold. The dungeon had been a scary experience, but she resolved herself to stay there after she had told Klaus the truth. Another tear slipped down her cheek at the memory of the sight of his eyes as he had stared at her. She never thought she'd witness someone breaking, but she had. He reinforced the wall he put up for everyone, hiding behind his passive eyes and cold demeanor.

She kept telling herself that it was for a good reason that she had spied on the royal family, but she kept picturing his broken look. She had been lying for so long, when had telling the truth become so much harder to tell?

Her head lifted from atop her knees when her door banged open and shut.

Klaus stood in the doorway, his expression void of any emotion. Caroline wondered if this was it. Was this the time he'd drag her from her room and kill her? Maybe he'd torture her instead. She sent a quick prayer up to the heavens for her parents safety before she turned her nervous eyes back to him.

They stared at each other for a long time in the silent confines of her room before he finally looked away, as if it disgusted him to look upon her.

"Were you always a spy?" he asked, stepping towards the window and watched as the sun ducked behind the trees.

"Yes," she answered simply.

"I spoke to Rebekah," he informed her and looked over his shoulder, watching her face crumple more.

It was true her and Rebekah had never exactly been friends, but there had been potential. And oddly enough, Rebekah was the only one of the nobles to accept her. It was like others could tell by the way she walked that she was an imposter. She hated to think she was that good of a liar.

"And?"

"She was upset as you can imagine." He spoke so calmly that it frightened her even more. It was a calm before a storm, she remembered her father often saying.

"When am I to die?"

He spun around, his eyes softening for a moment before becoming guarded once again. "Hopefully when you're old and grey."

She nodded her head, trying to grasp that she would spend the rest of her life in a dark, cold dungeon. She _had_ always wanted a simple life, she thought sadly. Would she ever see the sun again? Or would she be like one of those mythical creatures who only roamed the lands at night.

He opened his mouth to speak, but turned away instead. She stared at his back, straight and resolute, as he began talking. "You are to keep writing to the Queen. Although I'll be telling you what to say, of course. You're not to tell anyone of our arrangement. The only other person who knows of any of this is Rebekah."

"Of course," she whispered and he spun back around, stalking to the bed, anger and grief filling his eyes.

"Why," he asked once he was towering over her. "Besides for your family. Why did you do it?"

She shook her head. "That was the only reason. I couldn't let them be hurt again."

He looked disgusted at her compassion, but she knew he'd do the same for his own family. "Was every word you spoke a lie? Every time we met in that hallway, was that just an opportunity to get close to me and learn my secrets?"

"No," she finally answered, her eyes filling with tears. "Those were the times I was finally able to be myself." She knew he didn't believe her and she didn't blame him.

"I should kill you," he stated simply after a while. "I should threaten that I'll kill everyone you've ever met, but I can't." He smiled, but it was sad. "I guess my father was right."

"Your father was never right." Bile rose in her throat and her heart filled with hatred towards the deceased king. Klaus's father had been a true evil upon the land and was the reason Klaus could be so cold at times. "Nothing he ever said was right."

"You made me weak. I should have seen through your guise. I should have had you killed ages ago, not kept you around." He walked away from the bed and she found herself standing on shaky legs.

"Not being able to kill someone doesn't make you weak. And if you wanted to, at least have the decency to kill me yourself. Don't leave it to one of your minions to carry out your orders."

His eyes were equally surprised and outraged at her bold admission. "You want me to kill you, Sweetheart? Fine."

He had her back to his chest too quickly for Caroline to try to escape, but she wasn't sure if she would've tried. She was taking a big risk, but it was also her chance to prove him wrong or at the very least serve her penance. His grip on her was nearing painful as a sharp sting centered on the side of her neck.

She could feel his ragged breathing in tuned with her own and closed her eyes, waiting for the slice that would cut open her throat. The pain receded and the cool metal of the blade he held to her dropped away, instead his forehead resting on her shoulder.

"I could never kill you," he breathed and allowed her to turn in his arms. His eyes were downcast and he seemed defeated.

She held his head between her hands and kissed his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Klaus." She kissed his other cheek and then moved on to his nose and chin, repeating the words over and over, hoping they'd filter through his mind.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated before their lips finally collided slowly. It wasn't hurried, but it was full of passion and regret. Passion for each other and regret from both of their past actions. She wanted to wipe away her sins, but mostly she wanted him to know that what they'd had, what they had become, was the one truth. She needed him to understand that if she had been anyone else he could have trusted her. She would have let him in and not have held herself back.

Their kisses moved faster as if they were scared the moment would be interrupted at any second. Their hands moved over each other, remembering and mapping every dip and angle. Her thin linen night dress allowed her to feel his every touch and made her skin burn and melt under the heat of his deft fingers.

When they came up for air they were both panting, each straining to fill their lungs with as much oxygen as possible. She nipped at his swollen lips as his hands roamed over her hips.

"We must stop," he whispered, still breathing heavily, but nipping at her neck with his blunt teeth. "I'll get carried away."

Her unfocused eyes met his and she breathily whispered, "Take me."

She could see him struggle with himself. She knew he yearned for her as much as she did for him, but he held himself back, stepping away and leaving her overheated body chilled.

"No." He walked from the room, leaving Caroline standing near the bed, surprised and still overwhelmed by his kisses.

As she laid in bed that night her fingers lightly touched her lips, remembering how Klaus tasted and even though she wanted him more than anything she was glad he had turned her away. She smiled, knowing it was another sign that he cared for her.

oooOooo

They were once again locked away in a confined room together.

Klaus had fantasized about Caroline's kisses for what felt like every second of everyday. She had given him permission to take her body the way he had been dreaming of, but he couldn't allow himself to do it. If it had been anyone else he would have thrown her down on the soft inviting bed and pushed into her until they were both screaming in ecstasy. But he knew she would regret it. It wasn't her dream to be used and discarded. She wanted love and to be someone's only one.

He cursed himself because he knew he was in love with her, had even gone as far as telling her so, but he was afraid he would disappoint her in the end. Her deception hadn't changed the way he felt about her or the way he felt when he was with her. He had been hurt by it, but he saw she had been hurt too. He could forgive her dishonesty, but he would never forget.

"Klaus?"

Caroline's light musical voice pierced through his daydreaming and he realized he'd been staring at her from his place behind his desk.

"What?"

She cleared her throat and looked back down at the parchment that sat in front of her. "What else would you like me to write?"

He ignored her question. "What will she do to your family?"

She stared at the paper on the table in front of her and sighed sadly. "I don't know." Her eyes finally lifted and connected with his own. "I was sent some of my mother's hair and you saw the previous letter."

"I probably would have done worse," he muttered, but her expression didn't change. He thought maybe it would scare her to hear him speak like that, but he always got the opposite reaction from her.

"Probably."

One of the things he loved about her was the way she would speak her mind. _It must have gotten her in trouble when she was just a girl_, he mused. She may not have thought about things before she spoke, causing her to frequently bite her lip, but at least people knew what she really thought of them. She didn't hide behind niceties as most noble women did. Should that have been his first clue?

"Are you going to go to war?" she asked, bringing him once again out of his musings.

His only response was a nod and he saw her eyes harden. "Does that bother you, Sweetheart?"

She paused for a while before staring directly into his eyes so he knew she was being truthful. "It would only bother me if you didn't come back with the queen's head on a spike."

He smirked at her longing for revenge and whispered, "As the lady wishes."


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry this is so late, but I hope you enjoy it! Also, I wanted to note that the time frame of the story is mentioned. It's not going day by day. Let me know what you think! **

Her back had a slight hump from the years of shrinking and she could no longer write because of her weathered achy hands. When people met her they saw her as weak, which physically it couldn't be helped, but if anyone was to look into her steely grey eyes they'd see the cunning and sharpness. A woman of her age was usually dead, their bones turned to ash, but she thrived. Some rumored she was immortal or her own stubbornness wouldn't allow her body to fail her, although she knew better though. She knew someday her luck would run out and she would be nothing but a passing memory. But until that day she'd protect her kingdom and remove any threats.

Her frail wrinkled hands clutched the clean white parchment of the careless girl she had put to task at the Mikelson kingdom.

The queen grumbled as she inspected the red wax seal and wished she could have picked another to go in her place. The girl was weak and it seemed she wasn't willing to do anything it took to give her information. She didn't want information of the day to day bustling of the castle, she wanted facts and the king's plans. She wanted to know everything and be one step ahead. If the girl had to give away her virtue in the process than that would be a sacrifice the girl would have to make.

She sat back in her wood throne and cracked the seal of the letter. She dimly heard the door of the large chamber open and shut as she immersed herself in the writing.

"Mother?"

She heard her son Philip speak, but raised a finger to him, a whispered hush escaping her thin pale lips.

The squeak of his leather vest and clang of the sword he wore on his belt filled her ears as he sat and waited.

An ominous smile formed on her lips as her gaze landed on her son. "It seems the girl still has some use."

Philip looked confused, but then it dawned on him. "The servant girl you have with Rebekah?"

She nodded and looked back down to the letter. Her worn gravelly voice bounced off the bare walls of the dark throne chamber. "It seems the Lockwoods have betrothed their son to Klaus's daughter."

"The eldest?" he asked disbelievingly. No one in their right mind would betroth their first in line to an enemy.

"She does not say."

"When are they to be betrothed?"

"She does not say," she repeated, a hint of anger coloring her words.

"When are they to be married?"

"She does not say, Philip!" she yelled and tossed the letter to the tiled ground. She let out an exhausted sigh and rubbed her temples with her bony fingers.

"Should we give the servant more motivation?" Philip asked. "The hair was a nice addition last time, but I think it's about time she received another present." His smirk and glinting silver eyes would have anyone feeling a shiver of fear trickle down their spine, but the queen's eyes glowed in satisfaction and pride. She knew she had made the right choice of making him her first in line for the throne. "Tell the guard to fetch a peasant. And," she added as he was almost out the door. "I want you to summon Stefan Salvatore for an audience."

oooOooo

"Elijah, do you love me?" Hayley asked, running her finger up his naked chest as they laid in her chamber bed.

"Of course I do."

"Would you do anything for me? Would you kill for me?"

Elijah sighed, tracing random patterns on her soft back. "Why do you care that she holds my brother's attention? It will soon fade."

Hayley's eyes narrowed and her breathing became heavy. "I don't like her."

Elijah peered into her brown eyes. "What makes you so jealous? Am I nothing to you?"

Her face softened as she cupped his stubbly cheek. "I love you, but I'm queen. He should be fawning over me. His love sick eyes should be focused on mine."

"He's been taking others to bed ever since you married. Why is she so different."

She huffed and rolled out of bed, taking the white sheet with her. "The way he looks at her. I know you've noticed it. He looks at her as if..." She couldn't think of the word, but Elijah supplied it for her.

"He loves her."

"Yes, and if this kingdom is to be all powerful than he can't be distracted." She turned towards the window where the afternoon sun blazed, melting the left over snow. "He's unfocused and I'm afraid anyone could come and invade," she whispered brokenly, but a sly smile formed on her lips when she heard Elijah slip from bed and wrap his arms around her.

"I would never allow that."

"You should've never given Klaus the throne. It was rightfully yours." She turned in his arms, her nimble arms wrapping around his neck in a tight hold. "We would rule together and this kingdom would be more than what it is today."

"Klaus made the land flourish again after our father had died."

She gritted her teeth. "You would make an exceptional king," she whispered, cupping his cheeks.

He pulled his head slightly away in shock. "Don't talk like that, Hayley. My brother is king and nothing will take that from him besides death."

"The people who know him would only see his death as an accident with all the attention he gives Caroline and not his duties. Someone could poison him as he did to your father. His downfall is inevitable."

Elijah pulled her hands from him, squeezing her wrists painfully. "If anyone ever heard you speak like this you'd be put to death."

She continued despite the warning. "We could rule together, the way it was supposed to be. You could reclaim the crown. Kol doesn't want any responsibility anyway."

Elijah's dark eyes blazed as he backed away. "He is my brother," he whispered fiercely.

"A brother who stole the crown from you. He's a false king. You, my Lord," she said seductively, swaying over to him as the sheet she held slipped to the ground. "You were meant to be king."

oooOooo

Rebekah walked from her brother's study chamber and her eyes scanned the busy hall for a certain fair skinned maiden. She briskly made her way through the winding corridors until she finally spotted Caroline. She started towards the woman who had captured her brother so completely before remembering she was being shadowed and dismissed her ladies in waiting, instructing them to menial tasks.

Rebekah had noticed how much the maiden had took to wandering the halls. She didn't know what Caroline had to think so hard about, but sneaking up on her proved easy.

She laced her arm through Caroline's with a false smile and steered them to a quiet alcove in a dark hallway where they wouldn't be interrupted.

Their arms unlinked and Caroline stared at the other blonde, waiting for the tirade to begin.

"What is going on, Caroline?" Rebekah asked in a low voice, not risking a nosey servant from overhearing.

Caroline arranged her features to project confusion. "What is it you're referring to?"

"You know what I'm referring to. What plans does my brother have?" Before Caroline could respond Rebekah cut her off. "Don't bother lying. He offered my chamber to me for as long as I want it and said how wonderful these last four months have been since I've been in court. He said he'd forgotten what it was like to have his baby sister close to him and the family once again."

Caroline looked away guiltily. After Klaus had told her he'd be going to war with the East she'd told him that he should offer Rebekah a place at the castle. He was her brother after all and Caroline knew that if anything happened to Rebekah he'd never forgive himself. She also wanted to roll her eyes at his lack of tact for trying to convince the young princess to stay. He would have been less obvious if he'd had her thrown in the keep instead.

"It's for your safety," Caroline whispered and watched the different emotions reflected in Rebekah's light eyes.

"Tell me more."

Caroline shook her head, sending her waves of hair in all directions. "If you want information than ask Klaus. I'm tired of being a messenger." When she tried to leave she felt a hand grip her tightly, pulling her back.

"You tell me now," she growled, not so unlike her brother.

Caroline's eyebrows raised at the girl's grip until it fell away. "It's for your protection, Rebekah. Trust in Klaus."

"How can I trust him when he places his trust in a traitor?" she said, looking around the area to make sure they were truly alone.

Caroline frowned at the title she felt she deserved and to at the very least spend time in the stocks. "I don't know how he can trust me again, but I trust him. If he tells me to stay in the castle I trust his intentions and his instinct." She looked away and then met Rebekah's eyes before finally admitting to the secret she kept closely. "I love him. I know I shouldn't, but I do and nothing will make me stop loving him and nothing will make me lose my faith in him. I hope you come to understand that."

Rebekah stepped forward, bringing her face close. "If you hurt him or conspire to hurt him or anyone in my family I will have you skinned."

"I would expect nothing less," she agreed, sweeping her skirts back down the hall.

oooOooo

"I thought I'd find you here," Klaus's voice resonated in the vacant hallway.

Caroline turned her head from the landscape she had been admiring to smile at him. "You were looking for me?"

His smile was slight, but it was full of warmth as he stepped close behind her, encapsulating her waist with his arms.

They'd grown close the last couple of weeks as they planned the letters that were sent to the Queen of the East. It gave them private time during the daytime hours and chances to learn more about each other. She would tell him her hopes for one day, keeping the secret that it saddened her to know he couldn't be in it. He told her more about his childhood and would repeatedly remind her how much he cared for her, kissing her palm or cheek whenever they were alone or when it was time for her to leave his study. He would share his plans with her if he was in a particular mood and she would help him perfect them, pointing out possible weaknesses and unforeseeable dangers. She had become an advisor of sorts, one he very much enjoyed at his side.

"This is a wonderful painting," she commented, admiring the dark as night landscape that showed a tiny fleck of light off in the distance of a tree crowded forest.

"Hmm." He rested his chin on her shoulder as he looked on in pride. "It's not mine."

"I know." She smiled arrogantly, but became serious. "Her paintings have gotten so dark."

Klaus sighed, his warm breath caressing the skin of her shoulder. "Adrianna received some unwelcomed news and the result are paintings like this. And I'm afraid because of the age that she is," he hinted, "it will get worse before it gets better."

"A boy?"

"A miscreant of a boy."

"Well, the things she creates when heartbroken are majestically beautiful."

"I agree, but I doubt my opinion matters to her."

Caroline turned in his arms. "She's a young woman, not the little girl you once knew."

"And how do you know so much?"

She smiled teasingly, making him smile in return. "Because I'm smart."

"I've never doubted that."

They peered into each other's eyes and Caroline was drowning, but she didn't want to come up for air. She wanted to breath him in instead. She wanted to be consumed by him and she wanted to devour him in return. His earthy scent surrounded her and warmed her body. When she glanced down at his lips and remembered how sweet they tasted and how strong they felt against her own, her lips tingled with anticipation. Their kisses always left her lightheaded and wanting more. She wanted him to be hers. She didn't want to share him, but she knew she didn't share his heart. That was a part of him, the most important part, that belonged only to her.

She thought back to the day she told him that she wanted to be the only one to hold the heart of the man she was to marry. The thought made her eyes prickle because of course she would hold the heart to the only man that could never be hers.

She gave into the addiction of his lips even though it always ended up hurting her and lightly grazed her lips against his. Her first taste was always a tease, like a light breeze on a suffocating hot summer day. The embrace he held her in contrasted so differently to the sensuous and gentle way his lips would stroke her.

She let out a quiet moan as his lips wandered and she felt her toes curl with every light kiss he placed along the column of her neck.

"Should I stop?" he breathed, placing kisses to her chest, almost reaching her cleavage.

In response she brought his head up to hers and kissed him firmly, ingraining herself on him as much as he had already done to her. She felt him fist the side of her dress and knew he was struggling not to lift it and rob her of her virginity.

_Would it be robbing_, she mused, _if she gave it to him willingly?_

He pulled away, letting out a long breath and rested his forehead on hers. "We have to stop."

"I know," she sighed, but kept staring at his red swollen lips. "Make me hate you, Klaus. Stop me from wanting this."

"I can't do as you ask, Sweetheart. You're my every waking thought and I can't get enough of you."

"Tell me you sleep with other maidens," she begged. She couldn't handle all the feelings she had for him and not being able to be with him openly. She needed to hear something that would disgust her and harden her heart towards him. It would destroy her to know he was with others, but it would keep her away from him.

"I told you I would never lie to you, so I can't admit to that."

"We can't keep doing this. Your queen is vengeful. She doesn't like me as it is."

"I'll protect you, Love. No one will touch you," he vowed, tucking a stray ringlet behind her ear.

Her fingers skimmed the fine stubble along his jaw. "What if she goes after you?"

"There are only a few ways to get to me. She can't hurt my siblings, Elijah wouldn't allow it and she'd never hurt her own children. That only leaves you and I promise no harm will ever come to you. I will protect you with my life." He cupped her cheek, making sure she was looking into his eyes. "I pledge myself to you, Caroline."

Her breath stuttered at his words. The words he spoke were stronger than marriage vows or contracts. Pledging oneself to another was as unbreakable as a blood oath. He would never break his promise to her which scared her for so many reasons, but before she could stop herself she repeated his words.

"I pledge myself to you, Klaus."

His contagious smile was like the sun. It brightened the dark hallway around them and warmed her heart. He pulled her into a heated kiss before breaking away and laying an innocent kiss to her palm. "I love you," he professed before walking back down the hall where he'd come from.

As much as Caroline tried she couldn't get the smile that graced her lips to fade as she walked back to her room.

oooOooo

_A few weeks later..._

"Stefan Salvatore," the feeble woman announced from her simple throne as Stefan and his body guards made their way into the dull throne room in the East, nothing like his brother's gilded paintings and vibrant tapestries.

"Your Highness," he replied with a flourished bow and a slight nod to Prince Philip who stood by the queen's side. "My brother and I can only speculate why you've asked to see me."

"I have interesting news that I thought I would share with you." She paused for dramatic effect and to slide her son a devious smile. "The Salvatore's and the Mikelson's are still allies, are you not?" At Stefan's nod she continued, "Then you'll be interested to know who the Great King Niklaus has been consorting with," she drawled wickedly.


	11. Chapter 11

**For some reason it uploaded my first chapter instead of this one. Hope it works :-)**

**Thank you to everyone who has been reading, tagged me as a favorite or follower, and has written me a review! You don't know how appreciative I am. I hope you like this new one. I tried to get this one out sooner because last time I took so long. Let me know what you think and enjoy!**

Elijah paced one of the smaller libraries in the castle that he had considered his only solace since he was a young boy. _Things were much simpler then,_ he thought. The only problems he had run away from had been his annoying siblings. Now his troubles were so much more complicated than Rebekah screaming over a stolen toy or one of his brother's playing in mud minutes before they were expected for dinner.

Now he had to cope with the information that Hayley had bestowed upon him so many weeks ago. At first he hadn't been sure he was hearing her correctly. She all but showed him the knife she would use to kill his brother. He had always known that Hayley was power hungry, but he never thought she'd be capable of murdering her own husband.

When they'd first met, which seemed like a millennia ago, she was timid and soft spoken. She was caring and optimistic even though she had to enter into a false marriage. He had loved her from the time he had first seen her. Now when he looked at her he could barely see the woman he had fallen madly in love with.

It was true Elijah hadn't been a saint. He slept with his brother's wife and he had ordered many people's deaths, but he never believed his heart and humanity were tarnished. What had happened over the years to make his love the woman she was that day? When had the sweet jovial young woman become so hardened and calculating?

The heavy oak door into the library slowly opened letting in the barest sliver of light from the hall.

"I don't think I've been summoned since I was a boy," his brother commented, crossing his leather clad arms as he sunk into one of the many dust covered chairs.

"I needed to speak with you in private. This concerns us all."

oooOooo

"Lord Tanum came to see me," Hayley announced in the dim light of her chamber as one of her ladies braided her dark hair and she played with the hem of her sleeping robe.

Caroline sat off to the side by the large fireplace, trying to pay attention to the Queen's musings. She found it tedious and dull when in the Queen's presence. She had no time to fawn all over the woman who loved to remind her that she was nothing. Caroline didn't understand her hatred. Sure, Klaus and she were married, but Caroline also knew that Queen Hayley was supposedly in love with the King's brother.

Hayley repeated herself, her burning eyes sliding to Caroline.

"Who is Lord Tanum?" she asked so the queen would think she was truly interested and not day dreaming.

"He's one of the most wealthy of Lords," Hayley informed her with a roll of her eyes, as if Caroline was being thick on purpose. "And he's asked for your hand in marriage, Caroline."

Her head instantly perked up and dread slowly curled its way through her stomach as she watched Hayley's smirk grow with every passing moment.

_She had always wanted to get married_, she told herself. _This wasn't necessarily a bad thing._

She forced herself to show the queen her disinterest. "I would like to meet him," she whispered and watched in satisfaction as Hayley's smile dropped away. She wouldn't cower to _any_ queen anymore. She wouldn't be controlled or have her hand forced. She tilted her chin up and met Hayley's glare with her own. "Perhaps I should pick out a new dress so I can impress him?"

Hayley turned away, seemingly disgruntled at not getting the rise she had expected and motioned to the door.

Caroline rushed to her room and slammed the door behind her, finally allowing a few tears to escape.

How could she marry someone who didn't hold her heart? Ever since Klaus, she knew if she were bound to someone she'd never wholeheartedly love them. She'd be pretending every time she was with them, but she'd always dreamed of being married and being free. She dreamed she'd love her husband and it wouldn't matter to her where they lived, whether it be a manor home or a cottage that's roof leaked. She'd be happy with children running around her skirts and her heart would warm with every kiss and embrace from her husband. Caroline wiped away a tear and straightened her spine. This was her future now. Her plans weren't being erased just re-written. She'd marry someone and maybe one day forget.

She walked to her wardrobe, changing into her night clothes. She couldn't see Klaus that night. She had to separate herself from him. She had to start pulling away if she were to get through meeting Lord Tanum and eventually marrying him. As long as the Lord didn't treat her badly, she thought, she could live that life and maybe in her next life she'd get what she truly wanted.

oooOooo

Klaus watched Caroline from the balcony, his fingers squeezing the wood railing so tightly he thought it may break under the pressure. He watched as the scoundrel lord she walked through the garden with periodically touched her hand, the hand he had held and kissed. Thinking of the lord touching the same hand with his lips made Klaus want to rage.

The sound of Carline's laugh floated to his ears on the wind and calmed the fire burning within him. It didn't sound like her. It was fake. He smirked, but it quickly fell away and his eyes zeroed in on Lord Tanum's hand that had placed itself further down her back than what he deemed appropriate. He knew he was being a hypocrite since he'd held her closer than the distance that they were and his hand had wandered lower, but he couldn't stand seeing another man touch her.

He had to stop this if only for his sanity. He pushed himself away from railing, fully intending to interrupt the two, but was stopped by Elijah who stood in the entry way, an eyebrow cocked.

"Problems, Brother?"

Klaus put on an air of confidence and indifference. "None at all. I was thinking of taking a stroll."

He knew Elijah knew better and wouldn't fall for his flimsy excuses, but he didn't care and breezed by him. Once at the edge of the maze he began his hunt for the couple that were driving him to insanity.

Half way through he spotted the two talking, except the lord stood too close and Caroline looked bothered by it. _He had no choice,_ he told himself as he grabbed Lord Tanum's shoulder, swinging him around and punching him in the face. In the back of his mind he heard Caroline gasp, but his mind was focused on the bleeding lord at his feet.

"You need to leave," he told the stunned man menacingly, still lying on the gravel path and holding his hurt nose. "Now," he ordered and had the pleasure of watching Lord Tanum scramble to his feet, rushing away.

"Your Majesty."

His breathing was still ragged as he turned to her and noticed her pursed lips and her eyes searing him in place.

"Are you happy?" he asked.

She scoffed. "Am I happy about what?"

He stepped intimidating closer, but she didn't back away, instead she lifted her chin defiantly. "Are you trying to make me jealous?"

"Do you actually think I did this on purpose? Why don't you ask your Queen," she gritted.

She started to walk away from him, her new pink dress he observed, dragging across the stone, but he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her close. "What are you talking about?"

She shook him off and her eyes flared. "Queen Hayley has promised me to Lord Tanum. I'll give you two guesses of why and it shouldn't matter anyway." Her voice softened. "What am I supposed to do? I'm being ordered to marry that man and the man that I want, the man who makes me feel whole isn't exactly available." She took a breath and Klaus noticed her eyes glazing over. "Don't make me forever be a spinster who pines away for someone she can't have. It's humiliating."

This time when she rushed away he let her go. Her sorrow left him cold. She'd doused the flames of jealousy that had burned his body inside out, but had uncovered his feelings of being empty. He had felt so lost until she came into his life. He had covered his loneliness with cruelty towards others and sleeping with an abundance of women, but she had become his beacon of hope, his light that led him through a deep forest. She cracked the hard shell of his heart and became the reason behind every one of his actions. And now that he'd had her in his life he wasn't willing to let her go. The big question was would he do the right thing and let her go or would he be selfish?

oooOooo

Klaus barged into Hayley's room, the door cracking against the stone wall with the force. He found the queen lounging in bed, a candle lit on her side table and reading. When she looked up her eyes widened at first with alarm and then with false boredom.

"What have you done?" He prowelled towards her, but she instead looked back down and continued to read.

"Nothing that shouldn't have been done long ago."

Klaus was at her throat in a second, his teeth clenched just as tightly as his fist around her neck. "You won't sell Caroline like a common whore."

Hayley struggled to breath, but was able to gasp, "But she is a common whore." Klaus pushed her away from him and she was finally able to breathe and rubbed her neck soothingly. "She's my lady in waiting, I can do whatever I please with her and if that means marrying her to someone then so be it." Klaus stared incredulously at her, his body tightly coiled in his madness. "She makes you weak."

"Do not forget to whom you speak," he growled.

"She will be gone, Klaus," she threatened. "I'm doing this kingdom a favor by getting rid of her and you should be thankful I'm not making her departure permanent."

Klaus's nostrils flared in anger. "You're about to cross a line that I don't think you want to cross."

"You're so blinded by her that you don't see that anyone could betray you. They could send information to the Lockwoods or your other enemies. Someone could claim the throne and you wouldn't notice. Someone who has the right to be a real king. Someone whose birthright you stole."

Klaus's eyes narrowed dangerously and he had the privilege of seeing Hayley's eyes slightly widen. She knew she had gone too far, but it was too late. Instead of saying anything Klaus left without another word spoken, silently closing the door behind him.

oooOooo

"I was busy entertaining two beautiful women, Klaus. Why have you summoned me so late at night?" Kol asked, his linen tunic hanging out from his trousers as he walked into the study, finding his brother staring into the embers of the fireplace.

"I love my family, Kol," he murmured offhandedly and heard Kol sigh in exasperation.

"Am I here to listen to a philosophical speech of your woes?" he inquired, slumping down in a nearby chair.

Klaus continued as if Kol hadn't spoken. "I am not weak and I will protect my family even if it means betraying some."

Kol sat up. "What are you speaking of?"

"I've been threatened by someone close to me and they must be dealt with."

Kol came forward and stood beside Klaus, taking in his stance and hard expression. "Who is it?"

Klaus's eyes closed as if in pain for a second before opening again. "It's Hayley."

Kol was uncharacteristically silent as he stared at Klaus. He came out of his trance, shaking his head, but resolute of how to handle the situation. "Elijah will not allow you to harm her. You'd be betraying your brother."

Klaus came nose to nose with him, conveying the seriousness of the situation. "If I'm threatened, than my family and country are also at risk and something must be done about the danger, even if it's the queen herself."

Kol paced away and Klaus went back to getting lost in his thoughts. "How will you do it?"

"She will die and Elijah will forgive me in time. Unfortunately she can't be the only victim."

"Servants? And to what crime will you charge her with?"

"I won't sacrifice innocent servants." Klaus's adam's apple bobbed. "It will be Elijah."

Kol spun on his heel, his eyes shining with determination. "I will not allow you to kill our brother!"

Klaus turned to him, tilting his head in contemplation. "I actually believe you'd try, but no, he'll be banished."

Kol visibly relaxed, but not by much. "You'll use their relationship? Rebekah will be angry." He paced more. "Is Hayley pregnant like she's been pushing for?"

Klaus waved it off. "If she is than it wouldn't be mine. We haven't laid together since I met..."

Kol examined his brother. "Is this all for her? Are you willing to risk everything for some silly maiden? Is she the reason you plan to go to war with the East? She's just a woman, Klaus."

He became thoughtful. Caroline was a big part of the decisions he made, but she wasn't the only factor he considered in carrying out his actions. "I _would_ wage wars for her and I'd spend a thousand years fighting if I had to, but this has little to do with her."

"And your children? Are you so willing to kill their mother?"

"Their legitimacy will be called into question," Klaus said, unable to focus his eyes on anything than the air around him.

"You would turn away your children? For all your talk about doing this for family you're sacrificing a whole lot of us."

Klaus let out a deep breath. "If they are Elijah's children I will still take care of them."

"If?" Kol asked, striding toward Klaus. "They are _your_ children."

Klaus smacked his hands on the stone mantle. "How do we know that, Kol? We let Elijah and that treacherous woman carry on their affair since the beginning of my marriage. How do I know if any of them are mine?"

Kol paced away so he didn't have to look at his brother. "If this is what you want I'll support you, but at least take care of the children as a brotherly favor to their _father_."

Klaus nodded, but kept his place by the fire that was slowly burning out.

oooOooo

"Caroline, get me ready for bed," Hayley commanded and watched as the simple girl sighed and began to undo the belt around her slim waist. However before she'd gotten far two guards rushed into the room, startling the three ladies and Hayley.

"What's the meaning of this? This is my chamber, get out!"

The stony faced guards stood still as statues. "The king has charged us with escorting you to the keep."

"The keep?" she asked incredulously, but never let her air of superiority waver. "You can tell the king I'm being escorted nowhere."

A look passed between the two guards before they rushed her, picking her up by the arms and dragging her out of the chamber.

Caroline and the other ladies in waiting peeked out the doorway, listening and seeing Hayley scream and fight against the guard's strong holds.


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's the next chapter. I hope everyone likes it! Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter and I hope I can keep them interesting for you. Let me know what you think!**

Citizens of the court flooded the throne room after they'd heard of the queen's imminent sentencing. Most didn't know what the queen had done, just heard rumors of her deceit and debauchery. Some citizens prayed the king would show kindness towards the queen while others knew of Hayley's false display of innocence and had already condemned her.

Klaus sat on his large golden ornate throne surrounded by his siblings, a stern frown gracing his face as he stared straight ahead, contemplating the possible repercussions of his actions. He knew this day would either solidify the loyalty of his people or the masses would arise and revolt. However, either way the kingdom would know no one was safe from punishment.

He paid no mind to his siblings that stood with him. Rebekah held back tears, occasionally sniffling next to him as Kol stood stone faced and Finn stood behind them, uninterested in the proceedings. A part of Klaus was glad his mother had died some years before. If the sickness hadn't caused her organs to fail then what was about to happen certainly would have broken her heart. He glanced at Rebekah's red eyes and knew he would have to some way make amends with his siblings, but that could wait. He had to get rid of a threat first.

A hush fell over the crowd as two guards came forward, a disheveled Hayley walking stoically between them still exuding the air of royalty. Klaus glared at her as she made her way forward and stopped in front of him. He took in her greasy hair that hung in knots and the dirt that clung to the bottom of the royal violet dress she had once worn proudly. She had always been vain when it came to her outward appearance and the way she looked standing in front of him would have a lesser man feeling pity.

"Bow before your king," Kol demanded in a deep voice, producing a glare from Hayley as she reluctantly bowed.

"Do you know your crimes?" Klaus asked her, wanting to hear her admit to her treason one and for all.

"Don't do this, Klaus," she whispered, keeping her brown eyes glued to his detached face, searching for a hint of the mercy he had never shown anyone else.

"It's your Majesty," he corrected and asked again, "Do you know your crimes?" When she stood silent he continued, "You're being charged with treason, conspiring against the crown, and adultery. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

She took a deep breath and spoke loudly for everyone in the room to hear. "You are my king. I would never commit the crimes you have charged me. I ask that you spare me for the sake of our children." She briefly searched the crowd for the four girls, but didn't find them.

"Am I to believe that the children are mine? I don't see a resemblance in most of them. Perhaps they resemble more of your lover?"

Her eyes widened and that told Klaus everything he needed to know. More than likely some of his children weren't biologically his. "I beg you," she said frantically, finally realizing the severity of her situation.

He ignored her plea. "You've conspired against me, threatened to have me killed, and have violated a sacred vow that you pledged to me fifteen years ago. Why would I spare you?"

"Think of your family!"

He smiled snidely. "I'm thinking of my family _and_ my kingdom." He looked to the crowd. "I hereby denounce Hayley Mikelson as queen. She has been convicted of the crimes I have spoken before you and I sentence her to death."

"No!" Hayley yelled and tried to run to the throne, but was held back by the guard at her side. "Please! I beg you to spare me! Lock me away for eternity, anything! Please, I didn't mean it!"

The tears that fell down her flushed cheeks didn't for a second have Klaus wavering in his decision. She was a traitor. He glanced to Caroline who stood in the front row, an expression he couldn't determine marring her beautiful features. He didn't think she was neither disappointed in him nor happy with the proceedings. Her compassion usually shined through, but he didn't think she had much sympathy for the former queen.

Klaus tried to picture the proceeding differently, allowing Caroline to take Hayley's place if he had charged her with treason, but the thought made him sick. It was hypocritical, there was no denying it, but he didn't care. He'd send thousands to their deaths before he would harm a hair on her head. He told himself that she had committed her crime for noble reasons, saving her family, unlike Hayley who had done it for personal gain. Unbeknownst to Klaus Hayley had become bitter in the past year, wanting Elijah and himself to fall at her feet and worship her as she thought she deserved. As Klaus kept turning her away and began adoring Caroline, Hayley's opposite, she became vindictive.

The heavy oak doors opened with a bang, drawing everyone's attention to a red faced Elijah who stormed his way up the carpeted aisle.

"What is the meaning of this," he asked, his usual soothing cadence tinged with fury and betrayal as he looked between his brother and the sobbing Hayley.

"Elijah, please!" Hayley implored, stray hairs of her former meticulous bun falling around her face as she thrashed against the guard's hold.

"Ah, Brother, right on time as usual," Klaus praised mockingly. He turned to the guards that held Hayley and gestured them to take her away.

When Elijah took steps towards the screaming and pleading woman two guards rushed over to hold him back, but were stopped by Klaus. "Tell me what is going on, Niklaus," he urged, his gaze wandering from Hayley's tearful gaze to Klaus's impassive demeanor.

"To put it simply, she's charged with treason and adultery."

Elijah started for Klaus, but was stopped by the two guards blocking his path. "You can't be serious?"

"Do I look to be jesting? She's brought this upon herself." Klaus eyed his brother dangerously and waved for the guards to carry Hayley down to the keep before addressing his brother. "Elijah, my brother, my most trusted advisor, you have betrayed me. You have slept with the former queen behind my back and I believe to have conspired with the deceitful woman. What do you say?"

Elijah held his head high and straightened his tunic, his eyes boring into Klaus. "You condemn Hayley to death, but what of me, _Brother_?" he sneered.

"You will not share Hayley's fate. I love you, always and forever, however you will serve penance for what you have done. May the seas be calm for your journey," he finished and Rebekah let out a loud cry.

Elijah's eyes widened as the realization hit him. He was being exiled. It wasn't death, but perhaps it was worse. He would be left with nothing but the clothing on his back. He would have no family, nothing.

"And to where shall you send me?"

Klaus paused, surprised by his brother's acquiesce. "I hear that the new world is a wonderful place to begin anew," he offered.

"Why are you doing this, Niklaus? What's the real reason?" He turned to face the silent crowd. "Is there a reason or are you causing me pain out of spite?"

"Take him away," Klaus ordered.

Elijah caught sight of Caroline standing at the edge of the assembly of people. He broke away from the guards and grabbed her, shielding himself. "Is she why, Niklaus?" he yelled over Caroline's yelp of surprise.

Klaus bounced up from his seat, anger clawing up his throat. "Let her go or you will join your dear queen."

"Choosing one of your concubines over your family? Father would be so proud!"

Klaus vaulted down the set of stairs that rose him above everyone else to come face to face with his brother. "Don't take it personally," he whispered fiercely as he pulled Caroline away and pushed his brother towards the guards. "You're just the collateral damage." He held Caroline tight as she burrowed into his strong chest, watching as Elijah was taken away.

"How ironic," Elijah yelled over the din of murmurs. "The woman who betrays you is the one you actually trust."

oooOooo

Hayley stood on top of a wood platform, staring at the guillotine that would shortly take her life. She glanced at Kol who stood to the side as a witness and then toward the man dressed as an angel of death.

She held up her wrists that were bound by rough rope. "If I'm to die at least give me the courtesy of untying me."

Kol tilted his head and gave her a small smile. Hayley knew it was gratifying to him to see her in this situation since they had never gotten along. A womanizer such as he actually found her relationship with Elijah disgraceful.

"No," he answered and she turned to the crowd that had grown in size to watch the spectacle.

"Pray for me, my court!" she said loudly. "Pray for your queen's immortal soul and pray for your own lives because this could be you. Your king cares not for any but himself! Don't let my death be in vain. Rise up!"

Before she could say anymore the man in black pushed her down, her neck resting on the indented wood.

"It's been a pleasure," Kol jeered before the sharp blade dropped down, severing Hayley's head from her neck.

oooOooo

Damon Salvatore laid in bed, half covered by a thin sheet and half covered by a voluptuous raven haired beauty.

The chamber door opened, revealing a travel-worn Stefan who grimaced at the sight. He casually walked in anyway, used to finding his brother in such a state with different maidens of the court.

"What did the East Queen want?" Damon asked, smiling at the giggling woman as he tickled her sides.

Stefan cleared his throat, trying to get his brother's attention away from the courtesan. "She wanted to share some interesting news." At Damon's raised eyebrows Stefan gestured to the woman whose attention had also been piqued.

Damon seductively smoothed his hand down the woman's derriere, giving it a light slap and gaining her attention. "Why don't you go fill a bath for us?" He smiled as her eyes lit up and she moved away from the bed, swaying her hips until she turned the corner to begin her task. "Go on," he advised Stefan, still staring at the doorway from where the woman had disappeared.

"She has a spy in the Mikelson's court and received word that Klaus has promised one of his daughters to Prince Tyler." At Damon's wrinkled brow Stefan elaborated. "Tyler Lockwood."

Damon's eyes narrowed. "Lockwood? Why would Klaus do that? We were just at war with the Lockwoods."

"The only reason I can find is that he wants to secure his place within their lands."

Damon rested his back against the headboard of the bed. "Why has the Queen shared this with us?"

Stefan shook his head. "She didn't really say, but Klaus's sister is married to the prince and I don't think the queen has much time left. She may be looking to ensure that Klaus won't get his hands on her lands."

Damon nodded. "If Rebekah becomes queen he has direct access and who's to say Prince Philip won't become a victim of an accident."

Stefan nodded and paused before saying what he dreaded to be true. "The queen wants to ally herself with us. I think she plans to go to war."

The room was so silent Stefan could hear his brother's deep even breathes as he mulled over the problem. Klaus's army was a formidable force, the reason the Salvatore's had asked for their help against the Lockwoods, however it seemed Klaus had kept his true motives a secret. What better way to get to know your enemy than during a battle. Klaus could learn how they fight and to what means the other person has to equip his soldiers. He could learn how the king of that land thinks by the way his troops fight and then ultimately learn what motivates them. He was like a leech, learning every hope and dream of his opponent before sucking them dry.

_Klaus was a patient man_, Stefan determined.

"Klaus can't have us as an ally along with the Lockwoods. We no longer have a common enemy." Damon looked up at Stefan determinately. "Send word to the East. We'll secretly ally ourselves with them and anyone else who is an enemy of the Mikelson's. The more numbers we have the better our chances, but we must be patient to build those numbers."

Stefan nodded and left just as the enticing maiden re-entered the room, causing Damon to jump from the bed and playfully chase her towards the bathing room. Stefan sighed at the squeals of delight that filtered into the hall.

oooOooo

"Mother? You wanted to see me?" Philip asked as he timidly walked into his mother's dark bed chamber. The room had always disturbed him due to its desolate walls and shadows that jumped around the room like a sacrificial dance caused by the lone candle that burned near her bed.

"Come closer, Son," she urged and he stepped close to her bed, viewing the now familiar sight of her frail pale body. "You must protect the lands." Her breathes became wheezes as she lay back against her mound of pillows. "Take any ally you can to defeat Klaus."

"You're not dying, Mother. You just need your rest." He went to walk away to grab a wet cloth from a nearby basin, but her bony fingers wrapped themselves around his wrist.

"If I do die on this night I want you to know what to do." She was overcome by a cough as Philip waited for her to continue. "Don't announce my death, Philip. I know you think it would be a dishonor, but Klaus cannot know of my passing. Tell no one. Take my body to rest in the crypt where no one can find me and when this war we've started is over give me a proper burial." At Philip's nod she continued. "You need the Salvatore's as an ally and anyone else. Send the scouts and spies to the four corners of the earth, searching for anyone who will rise up against him. You could probably find people within his own kingdom."

Philip lightly patted her hand. "You can do all this once you're better."

Her thin lips curved into an indulgent smile. "Possibly, but you need to know. You will be king one day soon." A wounding cough wracked her small body and she rasped, "You must be patient. This isn't about taking land, my Son. This is about protecting what is ours and ruining the Great King."

Later that night Philip secretly carried his mother's small body down the winding flight of stairs into the cold underground family crypt that would protect her body. He laid her gently inside a stone vault, kissing her cold cheek and crossing her arms before he shut the heavy lid.

"I will ensure your vision is fulfilled, Mother. King Klaus will be overthrown, this I promise."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long. The holiday was crazy and then I was sick so I got this posted as soon as I could. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a bit of a filler, but I hope you like it**

"You want to throw a party?" Klaus asked disbelievingly to his sister as he lounged back in his desk chair. He was still surprised she was deigning to speak to him since it had been close to two months since she'd said a word. After he had banished Elijah she had turned away every time he had spoken to her or complained of an aliment any time he'd requested her presence. The banishment weighed heavily on everyone, as well as the children's exit from the castle grounds.

Klaus had decided it would be good for them to live in the country. They'd be looked after and would be safe, which was unbeknownst to everyone his main priority. They wouldn't have to stay in the place that would remind them of their mother's death. They'd be able to grieve without any outsider encouragements. Maybe he was being callous, but they couldn't sit and cry forever. He needed them to be strong.

Rebekah brought Klaus out of his musings as he noticed she had begun to finger through the stack of parchment on his desk. "To lift everyone's spirits," she finally answered. "I think it would be good if the family, or what family we have left," she reminded him pointedly, "celebrated."

Klaus sighed and trapped her hand as she went to touch a book that sat out. "And what exactly would we be celebrating?"

Rebekah stepped away, still not meeting his eyes. "Your impending marriage of course."

Klaus rolled his eyes, but smiled to himself. Everyone within his inner circle knew he planned to marry Caroline, but he had to time it right. Some people of the court were still annoyingly in mourning of the former queen and getting married too quickly could be seen as inappropriate. However mostly, Caroline still refused to give him an answer.

"I've yet to hear Caroline's answer," he informed his sister and she finally met his stare.

"We all know she'll say yes." She paused a moment before a secret smile appeared. "You know what you have to do, Nik. Agree to her terms and you can live happily ever after."

Klaus frowned. He didn't like it that Rebekah knew about the conditions Caroline had set, although he was happy that the two women were speaking again.

_Weeks ago…_

_Few people strolled through the gardens around Klaus and Caroline, mostly guards changing over in their posts._

_He watched from afar as Caroline bent down to smell an early blooming pink rose. How gentle she was, he thought, as she cupped the pretty flower and breathed in its sweet scent. The sun that had finally made its appearance after days of being stuck behind grey clouds highlighted the different blues in her dress, contrasting so well with her porcelain skin. He wanted to paint her. Thinking of the vibrant colors he would mix together to create a perfect likeness of her soft blonde hair and the curved lines to match her flawless body had him itching for a paintbrush._

_As she stepped away, making her way toward the babbling fountain that she seemed to adore, he snapped the rose from the bush and hid it behind his back. _

_"__You've been quiet," he commented as she spread her layered skirt around her as she sat at a nearby stone bench. _

_She shrugged, but kept her eyes on him. "It's been different around the castle."_

_Taking a seat beside her, his brow furrowed in concern. "How so?" _

_ "__I think…" She blew out a breath and Klaus readied himself for bad news. "I think people blame me for Hayley's death."_

_He breathed out a laugh and took her small hand in his. "It's no one's fault but her own. She threatened me, Caroline, what was I supposed to do?"_

_ "__And what about Elijah? He didn't threaten you."_

_ "__He organized his own fate. From the first moment he took her to bed he knew it could be used against him."_

_ "__Although I bet he didn't think his own brother would use it against him."_

_After she had spoken it was as if everything came to a halt. It was eerily quiet as it seemed even the chirping birds waited for him to lash out. No one ever dared speak to him the way she did. Even as a young boy others never walked away without so much as a lashing for challenging him. _

_His angled jaw twitched in irritation. "You're too brash," he warned._

_The scoff that escaped her surprised him. "And here I thought that was what you liked about me."_

_The almost inaudible growl rumbled through his chest like a banging drum. "Your impetuous nature will be your down fall, Love."_

_Daringly she took his clenched fist in her hand, uncurling it, and spoke soothingly. "Klaus, you shouldn't hold what Hayley did above Elijah's head like a sword. He's your brother."_

_ "__A brother who defied me."_

_She smiled sadly. "You can't send everyone away."_

_ "__What is this really about?" he asked quietly as he admired the perfect fit of their intermingling fingers. _

_ "__Am I that transparent?" When he smirked she continued. "Your children. I understand why you sent them away, but they are _your_ children. Don't let their mother's past transgressions be their burdens to bear. Whether or not Elijah is their real father you are the only one they've known. They love you and you're squandering that."_

_The sigh that slipped from his lips wasn't exasperation but surrender. "Have you been speaking to Rebekah?"_

_ "__No. She won't talk to me." Her eyes seemed to search the skyline for answers. "It seems you are the only one who will," she answered forlornly._

_ "__Give it time. They'll come to see that none of this is your fault."_

_Her blue eyes bored into his. "Is that the truth? Would this have all come to pass if I hadn't come here?"_

_ "__Would you have been happier?"_

_She shook her head, waves of long blonde hair sweeping her lower back. "I don't know. If I hadn't come here than my parents would be safe and…"_

_He tilted her chin toward him, relishing his ability to touch her in public. "I told you I would bring them back. I promised that when all this is over and I defeat that horrid queen they would be safe." He smiled, brightening when she showed a tiny smile of her own. "They can come and live here in the castle. I can designate a wing specifically for them." She laughed and he kept going. "I hope to get to know my mother in-law."_

_Her eyes became teasing. "In order for that to happen you'd have to ask me to be your wife first."_

_ "__I've already asked," he chided. "But you didn't take me seriously."_

_Her eyes became serious and pinned him in place with their intensity. "I'm scared. I've told you many times before that I want to hold the man's heart I'm to marry." He tried to interrupt to tell her she owned his heart and it worried him that he couldn't glimpse the future and she could possibly crush it. "But I also want to be the only woman to be claimed by his body. I couldn't live a life like others I've seen whose husbands sleep with courtesans and cast their wives aside. You would have to give me your word, Klaus, but I'm scared you could someday break it. And if you broke your promise to me you'd also break me."_

_ "__I promise," he swore. "No other woman will tempt me away from you. I want you, Caroline."_

_She searched his eyes, looking for anything that could tell her he had a small doubt that he couldn't be tempted by another. Her heart warmed when she saw none. "And another thing…"_

_Klaus sat back on the bench. "More conditions?"_

_ "__Your children need to be allowed back at court." She held her hand up when he opened his mouth to retort. "They need to be back within their home. They need to be around their family."_

_His jaw worked itself back and forth. He wondered how a person could be madly in love with another when that other person drove them to insanity. "They are gone for a reason. When it's time perhaps they will come back."_

_She nodded and stood. "Then perhaps that's when I'll answer your question."_

_He grabbed her hand before she walked away, placing the slightly damaged rose in her hand. She placed it close to her heart and swiftly kissed him on the cheek, thanking him for present that even he could recognize as a symbol of their relationship. He wouldn't make her promise her devotion because he knew he would have it. All he wanted was for her to help mend his damaged soul and love him as much as he loved her._

oooOooo

Caroline couldn't stop smiling as hand maidens helped dress her in a golden ball gown with intricate green and red embroidered roses around the bodice. She was glad Rebekah had convinced Klaus to throw a party. It was a perfect way to bring back his children; even if a few were a little disgruntled with their father.

She had gotten the chance to witness their arrival and reunion with their family. Rebekah, Kol, and Finn had received hugs and kisses and giggles from the girls. Rebekah even joked that they'd hugged her tighter than any corset she'd ever worn. Klaus had received timid hugs and a barely concealed glare from Adrianna. Caroline knew Klaus couldn't refute his eldest being of his blood as her brown eyes flared in his direction upon noticing his presence. It had been a tense meeting for everyone, but it was a step in the right direction.

"You look wonderful, My Lady," a hand maiden commented as the last of the buttons passed through their holes.

Caroline gazed at herself through the looking glass and her mouth fell open in awe. The dress Klaus had commissioned for her was gorgeous. She had never seen anything so beautiful worn by another and as she ran her hand down the fabric of her skirt she didn't think she'd felt anything as soft in her life. The maidens had done her hair in a tight twist with some loose curls framing her face and she barely knew who was staring back at her. She looked like a princess.

"You look like a queen."

Caroline turned from her reflection to look at Rebekah who stood in the open doorway. The princess from the East looked beautiful in her royal purple colors as she sashayed into the room, motioning for the maidens to leave them.

Her face was devoid of any expression as she stared at Caroline, but she finally lost the battle and turned away. "I wanted to thank you, Caroline."

"For what?"

She let out a huff and turned back, her eyes conveying her irritation. "For getting my nieces back."

"That was Klaus's decision."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "It was because of you. Maybe he would have brought them back eventually, but he listens to you."

"Rebekah…"

She swiped a hand through the air for silence. "I know he loves you and you refused to marry him until he brought them back, but I don't think he did it for that reason alone. I know he loves those girls, but it also made you happy." She took a deep breath that sounded as if she'd been holding for a while. "He was so lost before. Even though he won't admit it he's seen pain throughout his life. Our father never treated him as he treated the rest of us. I think that's why he treats people the way he does and why he can show such cruelty at times.

"I know he never loved Hayley, but it still hurt him when she turned to Elijah, a man who he'd competed with all his life. I don't want him hurt again and if you think there is any possibility that you could than I'm pleading with you to leave."

Caroline clasped their hands together to comfort and reassure her. "I don't plan on ever hurting him. I love him."

She nodded her head slowly. "I always thought you were a lovely person and I hope you're ready to be his queen. You'll run this country much like he does. You have a power over him that makes him both weak and strong. With you by his side as his conscience he has the potential to be even better than he is now. The question is will you use this influence for good or evil?"

As the sound of Rebekah's departure disappeared down the hall Caroline let out a long shuddering breath.

oooOooo

Trumpets sounded as the family was announced into the ballroom in pairs. Caroline gripped Klaus tighter as she stared at the entrance and he gave her a reassuring kiss on her cheek. She could almost hear his soothing words calming her nerves as she was introduced as the future queen. She couldn't help the smile that bloomed on her lips as Klaus's eyes connected with hers and they slowly walked through the sea of people. She finally felt at home and safe. She didn't know what her future would hold, but she did know she could do anything with him by her side. She had felt so lost until she met him and as Rebekah had told her earlier, he had been lost for so long as well.

She remembered the first time she had seen him in the courtyard. She'd thought his reputation for being handsome had been wrong. His looks stunned her, but when they had first spoken he had taken her breath away. At first she'd behaved rudely towards him to protect herself because she knew then and there that he would permanently be imbedded in her skin. She tried to convince herself he was a monster, but he kept proving her wrong. It was true he was sometimes cruel, but if he was always lenient then he would be easier to kill. Although she would never let that happen.

People of the court bowed their heads as she walked by, some touching her dress as a symbol of their fealty and acceptance. She wasn't taking Hayley's place, she thought, she was taking her place beside the man she loved and to whom she would devote herself. He would never rule by himself again, they would rule together as a pair. He would be the devil on her shoulder as she would be the angel on his.

Her eyes flirted with Klaus and he smiled devilishly, leaning close to her ear. "Marry me?"

She smiled brightly and finally gave him her answer.

oooOooo

Elijah stood on the ship's bow, watching as lush green hills came closer with every wave and breath of wind. He watched as people milled about the port, paying to dock their ships, selling goods to the weary sailors, and women greeting their men who had been away for far too long. He wondered what his life would be like if he hadn't been born into royalty. He wouldn't be weighed down by the secrets he carried and kept close. Perhaps he would have become a ship's captain or maybe an explorer. He wouldn't have the stress and burden that had been thrust upon him. It would be a simple life with him and the sea and the only worry would be squalls. None of that mattered though. His objective had changed and he couldn't do anything but keep going forward and carry out his perfectly laid plans. Everything he did had to be done with the utmost care.

The solid weather-battered ship rocked as he disembarked down the plank, his legs slightly swaying from being at sea. He looked around, securing his bearings on solid ground again before he made his way to his final destination.

The ship's captain, a well-aged bearded man came to stand next to him. "Welcome to the East, My Lord."


End file.
